30 November – 23 December 2001
The Blake Prize for religious art, with prize money of $10,000, is sponsored by the Australian Catholic University. 2001 marksef the 50th anniversary of the Blake Prize. It is a non-denominational award for a work which has explored religious and spiritual themes in a contemporary way.
The Blake Prize is a ground breaking exhibition which reflects the diversity of religious beliefs in Australia today, and for the past twenty years has included the work of indigenous Australian artists. The prize is named after poet and artist William Blake whose visionary ideas were the embodiment of art and religion.
This year’s selection embraces work by emerging artists working in a variety of media and with different religious interpretation. There are paintings, prints, mixed media, sculpture, artists’ books and an array of spiritual and religious works ranging from the quirky to the sublime
The 2001 judges were Betty Churcher, Marion Borgelt and Dr Ian Weeks.
PUBLIC PROGRAMS
Sunday 9 December 3pm – Has Buddha immigrated to Australia? The diversity of religious belief in literature and art Dr Adrian Snodgrass, curator Buddha exhibition at the Art Gallery of
New South Wales and author of ‘The symbolism of the Stupa’; Dr Elaine Lindsay, author of ‘Rewriting God: spirituality in contemporary Australian Women’s Fiction’ and editor of several publications on women, literature and religion; Dr Colette Rayment, Lecturer in Religion, Literature and the Arts at Sydney University
Sunday 16 December 3pm – The artists’ perspective 2001 Blake Prize selected artists Thomas Spence, Jeannette Siebols, Michael Roseth, Salvatore Gerardi and Megan Seres.
image: LACHLAN WARNER Vitrine of lightweight (Sunyata), disposable (Anicca) Buddhas, in a range of festive colours, postures and mudras mixed media 188 x 150 x 62 cm 2001 winner, Blake Prize