Brand New!! Ana Schmidt Wins Threadneedle Prize 2018

This is nigh the winner of the £20000 Columbia Threadneedle Award 2018 for contemporary figurative in addition to representational fine art - in addition to the other 5 artists shortlisted every bit finalists.

Dead End - an impeccably in addition to impressively painted persuasion of an urban infinite past times Ana Schmidt (Bilbao, Spain) won the First Prize. I'm truly looking frontwards to her solo exhibition at the Mall Galleries. I call back it's going to attract a lot of attending - in addition to a lot of collectors of paintings of urban spaces. How she manages to hold upwards an urban planning architect every bit good every bit a a real impressive painter is beyond me!

I'm enjoying the fact that I got 2 of the half dozen finalists right! (Plus banking company complaint my comment correct at the end!)

Ana Schmidt amongst her First Prize Award in addition to her painting

The Exhibition in addition to the People's Vote Award £10,000

The exhibition of all the selected artworks is on at the Mall Galleries until 17th February.

There's ane to a greater extent than major prize worth £10,000. The conclusion every bit to who gets that is determined past times the outcome of the People's Vote past times visitors to the exhibition

My gauge is it volition hold upwards betwixt Dead End in addition to Babel Britain (After Verhaecht). I'll surely hold upwards torn which to vote for!

The Awards Ceremony

This yr the sponsors of The Threadneedle Prize sought to alter the means the winner is announced. So this yr at that spot was:

no annunciation of the shortlisted finalists - until 7.30pm at the Awards Ceremony
no annunciation of the winner until 8.00pm after the interviews amongst the finalists
even the winner did non know she had won beforehand!
meaning every creative individual who was exhibiting knew they were inward amongst a hollo of winning or perhaps getting ane of the runner-up prizes
and no dinner - in addition to no clueless interviews past times a nameless celebrity who I was non a fan of!
a mad scramble to acquire photos of the artists amongst their pics before they left....

I similar the thought of keeping everybody inward suspense - in addition to it surely generated a proficient turnout.

However, I call back adjacent fourth dimension around it mightiness hold upwards ameliorate if everything was moved dorsum an lx minutes therefore those amongst real long journeys in addition to trains to grab to acquire abode didn't shoot direct out the door after the annunciation - including some of the prizewinners!

The First Prize

The winner of the First prize of £20,000 addition a solo exhibition at the Mall Galleries is Ana Schmidt. This is what I had downwardly every bit a profile for her

Ana Schmidt - (Website inward Spanish) born inward Germany, her line solid unit of measurement moved to Vietnam in addition to therefore Thailand before her 6th birthday. major inward architecture in addition to enrolled at the acclaimed Polytechnic University of Barcelona, Spain. Realistic painter who presents reality without an obvious means or embellishment. Uses sketches in addition to icon from life + photographs in addition to color in addition to composition studies. Every fourth dimension I hold back at her icon I similar it. I'll hold upwards real interested to reckon what it looks similar inward the gallery. Take a hold back at to a greater extent than of her paintings - I notice them real impressive.

‘Dead End’ | copyright Ana Schmidt
acrylic, 165 x 114 cm
£6,500

During generations, mythology in addition to narratives receive got had influence over our persuasion of the world. We alive inward a basis where narratives are constructed for amusement in addition to merchandising, non to explicate our experiences. Our basis needs myths, art…Dead End is nigh painted histories on the walls, allows ambiguity, but it also presents a 2nd reality, the reflections on the water.
Ana Schmidt

I was pretty sure this extremely impressive function was going to acquire shortlisted - in addition to when I saw it inward individual it's fifty-fifty ameliorate than the website version. It was interesting when call for others inward betwixt the interviews in addition to the announcement, a lot thought this function was going to win.

This is the form of icon which makes me desire to acquire how to pigment inward acrylics. It's therefore much ameliorate than a photorealism or photography!

The Finalists (£1,000 each)

The 5 finalists who each won £1,000 were all women. Yet in ane lawsuit to a greater extent than the women practice good inward this exhibition. I'm non quite sure why. Maybe to a greater extent than women create figurative art?

They are:

Emily Allchurch
Caroline Burraway
Serena Curmi
Cathy Lewis
Lois Wallace

Below you lot tin reckon them amongst their artwork (where I could acquire a photo) addition my profile of them which I did for the Selected Artists post. I've also got videos of the interviews but receive got non watched these yet - therefore perhaps a link to these on YouTube later!

Emily Allchurch

Since completing my MA inward Sculpture at the Royal College of Art inward 1999, I receive got developed a complex digital collage technique to recreate Old Master paintings in addition to prints inward a contemporary idiom. My starting indicate is an intensive run into amongst a metropolis or place, to absorb an impression in addition to get together a huge paradigm library. From this resource, hundreds of photos are selected in addition to meticulously spliced together to ‘construct’ my story, creating a seamless novel ‘fictional’ space. The industrial plant receive got a resonance amongst place, history in addition to culture, in addition to bargain amongst the passage of fourth dimension in addition to the changes to a landscape, fusing contemporary life amongst a feel of history, in addition to an underlying social narrativeEmily Allchurch

Babel Britain (After Verhaecht)| copyright Emily Allchurch
Transparency on bespoke LED lightbox (edition of 20, 10 available), Size: 128 x 140 cm
£12,000

This is an artwork which I explicitly tipped for a prize for a multifariousness of reasons (see below). The function surely did non disappoint upwards unopen - if anything it's fifty-fifty ameliorate than I thought it was. You literally cannot reckon the bring together inward this digital collage which took her thee months to complete.

Emily Allchurch - trained every bit a sculptor, First Class (Hons.) score inward Fine Art from the Kent Institute of Art & Design – Canterbury inward 1996, in addition to an MA from the Royal College of Art inward 1999. Now uses photography in addition to digital collage to reconstruct Old Master paintings in addition to prints to create contemporary narratives. Her function Babel Britain (After Verhaecht) is a Transparency on bespoke LED lightbox. This is MY TIP for Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 PRIZE - because at that spot is an explicit nod to fine art history, it's clever in addition to technically much to a greater extent than than proficient, uses contemporary visual fine art media in addition to provides an intelligent comment on contemporary society. It's a contemporary figurative artwork amongst a BIG 'C'.

Caroline Burraway

Samuel, The Jungle, Calais | copyright Caroline Burraway
Charcoal, 160 x 135 cm
£5,000

Caroline Burraway amongst her charcoal drawing of Samuel

This wonderful charcoal drawing had a real effective acrylic protection. However unfortunately it was competing amongst both the extra lights for the awards evening, the bar in addition to the residuum of the artwork inward damage of reflections in addition to was truly hard to photograph.

Caroline Burraway - BA inward Drawing from Camberwell in addition to an MA from primal St Martins. Her function has previously been selected for fine art contest exhibitions. I similar her charcoal drawings

Serena Curmi

'Bedlam' Case Studies | copyright Serena Curmi
Oil on board, 28 x 43 cm
£1,800

A six-part slice depicting illustration studies of patients of the infamous Bethlem Royal Hospital, (from which the discussion 'bedlam' was derived), during the slow 1800's. Reference was taken from archival photographs held at the infirmary in addition to from the mass 'Presumed Curable' past times Colin Gale in addition to Robert Howard. It is non known why the photographs were takenSerena Curmi

Serena Curmi amongst her Bedlam 'Case Studies'

I thought the photographs were truly peachy modest paintings of PEOPLE. There's goose egg to propose they're the inmates of Bedlam. I similar the thought of the projection - that icon tin strip away the labels in addition to convey us dorsum to the people.

Serena was at that spot amongst her real cute, real modest in addition to real good behaved baby.

I am, of class a dab mitt of photographing babies at Awards Ceremonies in addition to coaxed a one-half smiling from her daughter!

Serena Curmi amongst hubby in addition to daughter

Watch out for to a greater extent than of her function at places similar the Affordable Art Fair - in addition to exhibitions inward Bristol.

Serena Curmi - Graduated from Falmouth. Works every bit a total fourth dimension creative individual at Jamaica Street Studios inward Bristol after an before career every bit an illustrator. Regular exhibitor at Affordable Art shows inward London in addition to Bristol.

Cathy Lewis

Nowhere nigh Gotham | copyright Cathy Lewis
Cast marble in addition to digital impress (edition of 6, 3 available), Size: 200 x 200 x 150 cm
£12,000

I must reckon if I tin acquire a link to her video interview upwards on hither every bit she said quite a lot nigh her work.

Cathy Lewis - Studied at Glasgow School of Art , Falmouth Art School in addition to University of the West of England. Works from a studio on Spike Island. Says real petty nigh her function on her website which is a pity.

Lois Wallace

Perfect Day | copyright Lois Wallace
Oil on copper, 29 x 34 cm
£1,800

Referencing places that are inspired past times the sublime, the epic, in addition to the overwhelming, my paintings are concerned amongst depicting movement in addition to stillness, presence in addition to absence. I am interested inward creating a narrative that is beautiful, but at the same fourth dimension unsettling. I function inward stone oil on unprimed copper. This is a lustrous back upwards to use, every bit the copper glows through the layers of pigment to create lite in addition to atmosphere. The connecter amongst the history of icon through the purpose of traditional techniques is important, in addition to my narratives develop this inward a contemporary context.Lois Wallace

Lois Wallace amongst her modest painting

Lois Wallace - Lois Wallace is a contemporary British Artist. Working amongst Paint on copper in addition to paper, amongst galleries inward London in addition to Berlin. Trained at the Slade School of Art. Exhibited widely inward the UK of Britain in addition to Northern Republic of Ireland in addition to abroad. Senior Lecturer inward Fine Art at Birmingham School of Art, Birmingham City University until 2017.

Panel of Selectors

This year’s Panel of Selectors comprised 3 women in addition to the Chair of the panel - Lewis McNaught, Director of Mall Galleries (web page). The other panel members were:

Pippa Stockdale, Managing Director of The Fine Art Society, London (web Page)
Jennifer McRae, accolade winning portrait creative individual (web page) in addition to ane of my favourite painters!
Helen Pheby, Senior Curator at Yorkshire Sculpture Park (web page)
The Review of the Exhibition - in addition to what I liked

I receive got to country I call back they receive got created a real potent exhibition amongst a lot of first-class function which is truly figurative artwork every bit I know it (i.e. much less airy fairy and arty farty this year!). I also call back the Selectors volition receive got been real challenged to come upwards up amongst a shortlist of only six.

Exhibition Review

I'll also hold upwards doing

a Review of the exhibition after this week - in addition to the changes this yr compared to previous years.
to practice my shortlist of what I liked. However the selectors picked 2 of the ones I had identified every bit definitely shortlist able - including the winner - fifty-fifty without seeing them inward the gallery.

I demand to acquire dorsum in addition to practice some other see for the shortlist every bit I ever notice I hold back at pics differently after a pair of days away.

ARCHIVE - The First Nine Years of the Threadneedle Prize

- Overview of the artists selected for The ColumbiaThreadneedle Prize 2016 - including images in addition to links to artists' websites.

2018 Threadneedle Prize

2016 Threadneedle Prize

2014 Threadneedle Prize

2013 Threadneedle Prize

2012 Threadneedle Prize

Call for Entries for £30000 Threadneedle Prize 2012
Threadneedle Prize 2012: Analysis of entries
Threadneedle Prize 2012: names of selected artists
Threadneedle Prize 2012 - Exhibition immediately Online
Threadneedle Prize 2012 - Shortlisted Artists
Review: Threadneedle Prize Exhibition 2012
Threadneedle Prize 2012: The Making a Mark Select Six - An alternative shortlist for the Threadneedle Prize 2012.
Threadneedle Prize 2012 - the Award Winners - Ben Greener wins Threadneedle Prize 2012. Robert Truscott wins People's Choice Award 2012.

2011 Threadneedle Prize

2010 Threadneedle Prize

2009 Threadneedle Prize

Sheila Wallis wins £25,000 Threadneedle Prize 2009

2008 Threadneedle Prize

Nina Murdoch wins the Threadneedle Figurative Prize 2008 - which I picked out every bit the winner at the press preview in addition to was the real outset individual to form the "people's vote" for the winner!