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The 57th Blake Prize
Gallery M
Until Fri 31 July
“Christian, Jew, Muslim, shaman, Zoroastrian, stone, ground, mountain, river, each has a secret way of being with the mystery, unique and not to be judged.” - Rumi
Art has always existed side by side with the sacred. While all religions have developed their own visual symbolism (regardless of whether it be iconic or aniconic) it seems that nearly all art can also claim its roots in religion: Christians utilised art to spread the Christian message, Hindu artists painted murals to tell religious history, Buddhists created idols to worship, and artists of all religions used imagery to represent that which was at the centre of their faith. More interestingly are the spiritual connections between art and religion: both are fundamental to being human, dealing in universal human values and the exploration of meaning.
But art and religion have not always existed in harmony. The last century, in particular, saw a large decrease in the sacred art of the Western world. Matthew Arnold, the 19th century English poet and cultural critic, advocated art as a solution to the ‘evident collapse of religion’ fostered by the rise of modern science. He wrote that the creative arts, and especially poetry, were needed to “to interpret life for us, to console us, to sustain us”. Elbert Hubbard, a 19th century American artist and philosopher, took this idea one step further by proclaiming that “the artist needs no religion beyond his work”. In this ideal art became religion.
On the other hand, art has often been deemed sacrilegious, or intentionally used to criticise the institution of religion, with such iconic works as Andres Serrano’s Piss Christ (1987) and the 2005 Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy standing as poignant examples.
The Blake Prize, named after the religious artist and poet William Blake, has not been without its own dose of controversy. This year’s exhibition is no exception to the rule with ‘Weekly Australian’ author, Christopher Allan, quitting his role as judge over a painting by Adam Cullen that he felt was “offensive” and “a gimmick”. Last year John Howard and the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell, were both angered by a statue of the Virgin Mary in a burqa and a hologram of Christ morphing with Osama bin Laden. Earlier in the Blake’s history, abstract artist and Jesuit student Robert Hughes criticized the 1954 Blake winner – an abstract work by Charles Bannon – stating that “too much abstraction is harming religious art”.
As such, it would seem that the line between acceptability and sacrilege can be hazy at best. Yet, in the 57 years since the Blake Prize was established, the annual exhibition has seen a vast array of styles, themes and media and this years’ show is testament to that diversity. From soft oil on canvas portraits and delicate sculptural forms to bright acrylics, photography and film, the exhibition can be lauded for its overarching sense of diversity.
The winning work, David Tucker’s A Local Girl Comes Home, is simple and optimistic. Comprising of four figures and a cow in a white ceramic procession, the sculptural work represents Vedic culture while, at the same time, depicting an overarching sense of joy and fertility. There is a universal quality to the work and perhaps it’s greatest success is that it doesn’t necessarily pertain to a single religion, but is relevant in both sacred and secular contexts.
A cluster of raku fired cermaic angels by Kay Alliband took out the Highly Commended prize. Quirky, naughty, shy and clumsy, the white-robed angels sport Chuck Taylor sneakers, bright jewellery, pig tails and freckles. With strong, playful personalities, each child-like figure is unique and perfect in it’s own idiosyncratic way. The playfulness of the religious context is, here, a welcome relief from some of the denser, more emotive works on display.
Peter Daverington’s pair of charcoal, pastel and gesso on paper works, on the other hand, were powerful and energetic. One depicting Arabic calligraphy and the other capturing the blurred energy of a Whirling Dervish, the large-scale works pay homage to Sufism and the universal teachings of Rumi. Part of a larger series focusing on the repetitive Whirling Dervish figure, the drawings earned Daverington the John Coburn Award for Emerging Artists.
Other works of note include Peter Smeeth’s oil on canvas work, The Contemplation Of A Secular Man. The painting depicts columnist and broadcaster, Phillip Adams, surrounding by religious iconography including a gold Buddha, bread and wine, mummies, Hindu gods and various religious and philosophical texts including the Holy Qur’an and the Holy Bible. The painting, like Joanne Handley’s portrait of a red-robed monk, is technically stunning, and both Smeeth and Handley manage to provide not just a religious framework for viewing their respective paintings, but also a social dialogue that is inherent in the works.
It is this social, political and global side of religious art that has become ever more present in the Blake Prize. This year’s exhibition seems reasonably unbiased toward particular faiths, creating a promising dialogue for both art and religion. Whilst some of the works are more approachable than others, the religious context of the exhibition in no way negates the technical skill of the artists involved and it is clearly evident that nearly all artworks chosen were crafted with concern, not just for the conceptual framework, but also for the materials at hand.
Max Stirner once wrote that “Art is the beginning, the Alpha of religion, but it is also its end, its Omega. Even more – it is its companion.” The 57th Blake Prize is a strong example of religion’s place within contemporary art practice and acts as a powerful springboard for dialogue and contemplation.
Images:
David Tucker, A Local Girl Comes Home, 2008, 159.5x95x60, Ceramic, wood, linen, ink.
Kay Alliband, Mum’s Angels, 2008, 27x100x75, Raku Fired Ceramic.
Lauren Sutter
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