Julia Vogl has won The Catlin Art Prize.
Julia clinched the £5,000 prize ahead of a strong field for her ‘social sculpture’ Let’s Hang Out. In a close- run decision, the work was selected by judges Nancy Durrant, Arts Commissioning Editor of The Times; Ossian Ward, Art Editor of Time Out; and Joe La Placa; Director of gallery All Visual Arts.
Julia, originally from Washington DC, graduated from the Slade School of Fine Art in 2011.
Let’s Hang Out remains true to her manifesto, stating:
THE ART WORK MUST RESPOND TO SITE OR COMMUNITY
THE ART WORK MUST INVOLVE OR ENGAGE OTHERS
THE ART WORK MUST EMPLOY A STRATEGY OF DÉCOR
Let’s Hang Out invites visitors to create a communal area by selecting coloured carpet titles that correspond with Julia’s pastime suggestions. A colour is designated to each activity (Call mum, Tweet and so on). The work evolves throughout the duration of the exhibition while encouraging visitors to interact – and hang out.
Read FADs Interview with Julia:www.fadwebsite.com/
Judge Nancy Durrant commented: ‘What I like about Julia’s work is its spirit of joyful enquiry. She seems genuinely fascinated by what makes us social creatures. There are very few artists who have aclear commitment to public art and who do it well – it’s a rare skill, to which the sheer number of twee, tedious or downright god-awful public works attests. More of this please.’
For the first time in 2012 the general public attending the Catlin Art Prize exhibition had the opportunity to take part in a ‘Visitor Vote’ and pick their favourite artist. Votes were cast via the Art Catlin website and a ballot box at the venue. The winner of the Visitor Vote Adeline de Monseignat was awarded £2,000.
Adeline graduated from City and Guilds London of Art School London in 2011. For the Catlin Art Prize she developed a kinetic glass sphere – a hairy eyeball – building on her previous sculptural work which combines blown glass and vintage furs. Adeline calls the new piece Mother/HEB, a ‘creapture’ (creature-sculpture); a breathing maternal figure surrounded by furry eggs, each static but holding the potential for life. The forms are partially buried in sand, heightening their sensuality and alluding to the tale of The Sandman by E.T.A. Hoffman, where a madman steals children’s eyes after blinding them . The ten finalists are: Greta Alfaro, Gabriella Boyd, Poppy Bisdee, Jonny Briggs, Max Dovey, Tom Howse, Ali Kazim, Adeline de Monseignat, Soheila Sokhanvari and Julia Vogl.
The exhibition is on until 25th May 2012 at the Londonewcastle Project Space, London.
