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Not to be confused with Blake Poetry Prize.

Blake Prize
Date1951; 73 years ago (1951)
CountryAustralia
Hosted by
Reward(s)A$35,000
Highlights
Most awardsEric Smith (six times)
Inaugural winnerJustin O'Brien (1951)
WebsiteBlake Prize

The Blake Prize, formerly the Blake Prize for Religious Art,[1] is an Australian art prize awarded for art that explores spirituality. Since the inaugural prize in 1951, the prize was awarded annually from 1951 to 2015, and since 2016 has been awarded biennially.[2][3]

As of 2021, the non-acquisitive prize, awarded since 2016 by the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre (CPAC), is worth A$35,000. In addition, CPAC awards the Blake Emerging Artist Prize, an acquisitive prize of A$6,000 (formerly the John Coburn Emerging Artist Award[4]), and the Blake Established Artist Residency, which includes a residency and solo exhibition hosted by CPAC.[2]

History

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The prize was established in Sydney in 1949 as an incentive to raise the standard of religious art[5] and to find suitable work to decorate churches.[6] It was founded by Jewish businessman Richard Morley,[4] the Reverend Michael Scott SJ, a headmaster of Campion Hall, Point Piper, and subsequently rector of Aquinas College (a Catholic residential college for university students in North Adelaide[7]), and lawyer M. Tenison. The Blake Prize is named after the artist and poet, William Blake. The inaugural Blake Prize was awarded by the Blake Society in 1951 to Justin O'Brien.[5]

The Blake exhibitions have been a regular travelling exhibition around Australia, visiting various major cities and provincial galleries.[citation needed]

The award of the Blake Prize to Charles Bannon in 1954 for his Judas Iscariot was one of the most controversial in its history; this opened controversy over what constituted religious art and over "abstract expressionism" which threatened to overwhelm the exhibition.[citation needed]

In 2000, the prize shifted its focus from strictly religious art to an exploration of spirituality, and some of the entries proved controversial. In 2007, former prime minister John Howard and former Catholic archbishop of Sydney George Pell expressed disapproval of art works showing the Virgin Mary in a burqa, and a hologram of Christ morphing with Osama bin Laden. In 2008, The Australian's art critic Christopher Allen resigned from the judging panel over an entry by Adam Cullen showing the crucifixion of Christ.[6]

The prize was known as the Blake Prize for Religious Art until its 56th edition in 2007, and was based at the National Art School in Darlinghurst at this time.[1] For its 57th edition in 2008, it was rebranded the Blake Prize, subtitled "Exploring the spiritual and religious in art".[8]

In 2008 the Blake Society, in collaboration with the New South Wales Writers' Centre (now Writing NSW), established the Blake Poetry Prize[6] to link art and literature and to give Australian poets new possibilities to explore the nature of spirituality in the 21st century.[citation needed]

In 2011, Australian art historian, educator and exhibition curator Rosemary Crumlin authored a book documenting 60 years of the Blake Prize.[9]

In 2012, the National Art School was replaced as exhibition partner by the National Trust's S. H. Ervin Gallery in Observatory Park, in Sydney's city centre, for the 61st edition of the awards.[10][11]

In 2014 there were new commercial sponsors, and the venue partner became UNSW College of Fine Arts (now UNSW School of Art & Design).[12]

The prize was administered by the Blake Society up till and including 2015. After the 63rd edition of the prize in January, chair Rod Pattenden said that it would not be able to continue owing to lack of sponsorship,[13] suggesting that the prize was seen as "too open-minded" by religious organisations and "too religious" by secular people.[6] In July, the Casula Powerhouse Art Centre (CPAC) and Liverpool City Council announced that they would be funding and managing the prize, with the exhibition and awards moving to Casula in Western Sydney. They promised that A$25,000 would be available in perpetuity.[13]

In 2016 CPAC took over the prize for the 64th Blake Prize, and it became a biennial award.[14] It now focuses on the broader spiritual arts rather than religious art.[15] The Casula Powerhouse took over the Blake Poetry Prize in the same year.[16]

Blake Prize for Human Justice

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From 2009[17] until 2014, the Blake Prize for Human Justice, worth A$5,000, was sponsored by the Maritime Union of Australia.[18] The winners were:

Current prizes

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As of 2021, there are three prizes awarded by Casula Powerhouse:[2]

  • The Blake Prize, a non-acquisitive prize of A$35,000
  • The Blake Emerging Artist Prize, an acquisitive prize of A$6,000 (formerly the John Coburn Emerging Artist Award[4])
  • The Blake Established Artist Residency, a residency and solo exhibition, hosted by Casula Powerhouse

List of winners

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Ordinal Year Winner(s) Name of work(s) Notes
1 1951 Justin O'Brien The Virgin Enthroned [5]
2 1952 Frank Hinder Flight into Egypt
3 1953 Michael Kmit The Evangelist John Mark
4 1954 Charles Bannon Judas Iscariot
5 1955 Donald Friend St John and Scenes from the Apocalypse
6 1956 Eric Smith The Scourged Christ
7 1957 Elwyn Lynn Betrayal
8 1958 Eric Smith The Moment Christ Died
9 1959 Eric Smith Christ is Risen
10 1960 John Coburn Triptych of the Passion
11 1961 Stanislaus Rapotec Meditating on Good Friday [5]
12 1962 Eric Smith Eucharistic Landscape
13 1963 Leonard French Ancient Fragments
14 1964 Michael Kitching Last Supper-Premonition [26]
15 1965 Asher Bilu I Form Light and Create Darkness-Isaiah 45:7
16 1966 Rodney Milgate Ascension
17 1967 Desiderius Orban Hosanna
18 1968 Roger Kemp The Cross
19 1969 Eric Smith The Assassin's Creed
20 1970 Roger Kemp Denial
Eric Smith Christ's Flesh: Living, Suffering and Resurrected
21 1971 Desiderius Orban Transition to Christianity
22 1972 Joseph Szabo Black Friday
23 1973 Keith Looby Your Motel Calvary Still Life Flowers
24 1974 Stuart Maxwell Christ at Emmaus
Ken Whisson Tobias and the Angel
25 1975 Rodney Milgate Thoughts on Holy Thursday
26 1976 David Voigt Blue Requiem
27 1977 John Coburn Hozanna
Rodney Milgate Tree
28 1978 Noel Tunks The First Friday Retreat
29 1979
Roadside Altar Piece Comas
30 1980 Leonard French Instruments for a Drama Meditation
31 1981 David Voigt Meditation
32 1982 Mary Anne Coutts In Mockery of Christ
Suzie Marston Sunday School Work Books
33 1983
The Offering
34 1984 Mary Hall The Spirit of God hovered brooding over the face of the waters
35 1985 John Gould Votives to Passion
36 1986 Roger Akinin The Day of Atonement, Scapegoat and Apostate
37 1987 Ian Grant The Monks Cloak
Alan Oldfield A High and perpetual shewing of Christ's mother according to Julian of Norwich
38 1988 Lise Floistad This sign is a hidden treasure which desires to be known
39 1989 Warren Breninger Hail Mary
40 1990 Gillian Mann The Chest
41 1991 Alan Oldfield Raft III
Rosemary Valadon Before the Fall
42 1992 George Gittoes Ancient Prayer
43 1993 John Davis Some Thoughts on a Miracle
44 1994 Hilarie Mais Veiling Silence
45 1995 George Gittoes The Preacher – Kibeho Massacre Series, Rwanda
46 1996 Rachel Ellis Woman at Jesus' feet
47 1997 Thomas Spence Christmas Day 1914 (God's Truce)
48 1998 John Adair One Dark Night (from St John of the Cross Poem Dark Night of the Soul)
− 1999 not awarded
49 2000 Frances Belle Parker The Journey
50 2001 Lachlan Warner Vitrine of lightweight (Sunyata), disposable (annica) Buddhas, in a range of festive colours, postures and mudras
51 2002 Hilton McCormick The Harvest
52 2003 Shoufay Derz Linking Back (Part 1)
53 2004 AñA Wojak Pieta (Dafur)
54 2005 James Powditch God is in the Details (Intelligent Design)
Louise Rippert Dance
55 2006 Euan Macleod Untitled Landscape with Figure
56 2007 Shirley Purdie Stations of the Cross
57 2008 David Tucker A Local Girl Comes Home
58 2009 Angelica Mesiti Rapture (silent anthem) [27]
59 2010 Leonard Brown If you put your ear close, you’ll hear it breathing [28]
60 2011 Khaled Sabsabi Naqshbandi Greenacre Engagement [5] (3 channel video)
61 2012 Fabian Astore The Threshold [29]
Eveline Kotai Writing on air
62 2013 Trevor Nickolls Metamorphosis [30]
63 2014 Richard Lewer Worse Luck I'm Still Here [31]
Changed to biennial award[32]
64 2016 Yardena Kurulkar Kenosis 2015 [33]
65 2018 Tina Havelock Stevens Giant Rock [34]
66 2020 (2021) Leyla Stevens Kidung, a 3-channel video work Awarded 13 February 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic[35][36]
67 2022 SJ Norman Cicatrix [37]
68 2024 Shireen Taweel Shoe Bathers [38]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Home page". Blake Prize. 17 November 2007. Archived from the original on 17 November 2007. Retrieved 16 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ a b c "Call for Entries: The 67th Blake Prize". Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre. 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  3. ^ Rebecca Somerville (November 2005). "Feature: Blake Prize". Contemporary. Australian Art Review. Archived from the original on 30 August 2007. Retrieved 2 August 2007.
  4. ^ a b c "Awards". William Blake. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e McDonald, John (1 October 2011). "The 60th Blake Prize Exhibition". John McDonald. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d Taylor, Andrew (8 December 2014). "Blake Prize for religious art under threat". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  7. ^ "Home page". Aquinas College. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  8. ^ "Home page". Blake Prize. 2008. Archived from the original on 3 March 2008. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  9. ^ Crumlin, Rosemary (2011). The Blake book : art, religion and spirituality in Australia : celebrating 60 years of the Blake Prize. Margaret Woodward. Melbourne, Australia. ISBN 978-1-921394-51-5. OCLC 795116754.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  10. ^ "Home page". Blake Prize. 2012. Archived from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 17 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. ^ "Home page". Blake Prize. 2011. Archived from the original on 8 December 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  12. ^ "Home page". Blake Prize. 2014. Archived from the original on 26 January 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. ^ a b Fairley, Gina (23 July 2015). "Blake Prize for religious art resurrected". ArtsHub Australia. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  14. ^ "Home page". Blake Prize. 2016. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  15. ^ Centre, Casula Powerhouse Arts (1 January 2003). "The 64th Blake Prize". casulapowerhouse.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  16. ^ "About the Blake Poetry Prize". Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  17. ^ "Blake Art Award". Maritime Union of Australia. 26 August 2009. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  18. ^ "Blake Prize finalists announced" (PDF). 10 October 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  19. ^ "Blake Prize awarded to video artwork - ABC News". ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 3 September 2009. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  20. ^ "'An enormous spiritual presence' wins Blake Prize for artist". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2 September 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  21. ^ Valentish, Jenny (15 January 2020). "Portrait of the artist in the firing line: Abdul Abdullah on controversy, threats and rightwing hate mail". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  22. ^ Abdullah, Abdul (8 September 2015). "Combating Prejudice with Art" (Video + text). At TEDxYouth@Sydney. TedX. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021 – via YouTube.
  23. ^ "2012 Blake Prize Winners Announced". Art Almanac. 8 November 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  24. ^ "Blake Prize for Human Justice awarded to Adelaide artist Franz Kempf". Travelling Rabbi. 9 December 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  25. ^ "The 63rd Blake Prize winners". UNSW. 15 December 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  26. ^ "Blake Prize Winner – £500 Prize To Teacher". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2 October 1964. p. 4. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  27. ^ "2009 Judges Comments – Blake Prize". Archived from the original on 8 September 2009.
  28. ^ McDonald, John (20 September 2010). "The Blake Prize". John McDonald. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  29. ^ "2012 Blake Prize Winners Announced". Art Almanac. 8 November 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  30. ^ "2013 Blake Prize Winners". Art Almanac. 21 October 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  31. ^ Collins, Antoinette (14 December 2014). "Artist Richard Lewer wins $25,000 Blake Prize for religious art as future of award in doubt". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  32. ^ "The 65th Blake Prize". Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre. 11 February 2019. Archived from the original on 11 February 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  33. ^ Pitt, Helen (12 February 2016). "Artist Yardena Kurulkar named Blake Prize 2016 winner". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  34. ^ McDonald, John (1 June 2018). "The Blake Prize 2018: Missing the mysterium tremendum". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  35. ^ "The 66th Blake Prize". Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre. March 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  36. ^ 66th Blake Prize: 13 February - 11 April 2021 [Exhibition catalogue] (PDF). Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre. 16 September 2023. ISBN 978-1-876418-12-0. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  37. ^ Centre, Casula Powerhouse Arts (26 June 2022). "The 67th Blake Prize Exhibition". www.casulapowerhouse.com. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  38. ^ "Casula Powerhouse Announces The Winners Of The 68th Blake Prize For Art And Poetry". Liverpool City Council.

Further reading

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