Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize 2017
Central Australian artist Margaret Loy Pula has won the 2017 Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize, awarded $50,000 for her 2016 work Anatye (bush potato).
Judges, who included Mark Feary, Artistic Director Gertrude Street Gallery, Dr David Hansen, Associate Professor, Centre for Art History and Art Theory, ANU School of Art and Design, Hannah Matthews, Senior Curator, Monash University Museum of Art and representatives from Bendigo Art Gallery and the Guy family, were in unanimous agreement in their decision to select Margaret Loy Pula as the recipient of the prize, and commended the vivid impact of the painting with its reductionist palette.
Anatye (bush potato) is part of an ongoing series where the artist paints stories from her father’s dreaming, in particular bush potatoes, an important food source of the Anmatyerre people of Central Australia.
Anatye was narrowed down from an entrance pool of 291 paintings and 37 finalists. Margaret Loy Pula will be exhibiting her work alongside finalists including Matt Arbuckle, Steven Asquith, Andrew Browne, Kirsty Budge, Robyn Burgess, Deidre But-Husaim, Mitch Cairns, Jon Campbell, Sadie Chandler, Marcel Cousins, Jesse Dayan, Prudence Flint, Martin George, Helga Groves, Stephen Hayley, Pei Pei He, Euan Heng, Rachael Hooper, Kez Hughes, Jennifer Joseph, Guundie Kuchling, Michael Lindeman, Christian Lock, Dane Lovett, Fiona Lowry, Karla Marchesi, Robert Owen, Louise Paramor, Anthony Pelchen, Bundit Puangthong, Jordan Richardson, Kate Shaw, Robyn Sweaney, Kate Tucker, David Wadelton and Stephanie Wilson.
A Biennial award at the Bendigo Art Gallery, the Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize aims to platform Australia’s finest contemporary artists. Now in its 14th year, it was established by Mr Allen Guy C.B.E. (1017-2007) to honour his brother Arthur Guy (1914-1945) whose life was tragically cut short whilst in service in New Guinea. Arthur Guy was born in Melbourne on 24 November 1914, the first son for Arthur and Catherine Guy. He was the only and elder sibling of Allen Rupert Guy. Arthur was educated at Camp Hill State School in Bendigo and then at Ballarat Grammar School. He enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force in a signals unit and served in New Guinea. On 14 February 1945, aged 30, he was on a biscuit bomber mission when his plane was shot down near Lae. He is buried in the Lae War Memorial Cemetery.
EXHIBITION
Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize 2017
17 June 17 September 2017
Bendigo Art Gallery
Image: Margaret Loy Pula, Anatye (bush potato), 2016, acrylic on linen
Courtesy of the artist and Mitchell Fine Art, Brisbane