I got an email today from my wonderful talented chaming intelligent witty sister Rita, regarding an art award her hubby, Chris Beaumont, recently won. Well done Chris and good luck with the exhibit! I'm hope some of my Melbourne based readers get along to see the show.
Winning Artist for People’s Choice Award Announced
Christopher Beaumont is the winner of the Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize People’s Choice Award, winning a dedicated solo exhibition at the Bendigo Art Gallery in 2006.
Beaumont was the clear winner in the People’s Choice prize with over 450 entries submitted. Director of the Bendigo Art Gallery Karen Quinlan said, “Christopher’s work was clearly the most popular amongst our visitors. His piece Narcissus excited considerable interest and we are very much looking forward to seeing more of his work in his upcoming exhibition.”
Designed to attract some of Australia’s finest contemporary artists and high calibre works, the Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize and exhibition was first held in 2003 at the Bendigo Art Gallery and will be held every two years thereafter. In January 2005, Dale Frank was announced as the winner of the Arthur Guy Painting Prize, receiving a $50,000 cash acquisitive prize, an unprecedented amount for a painting prize.
Shortlisted artists include: Garry Adams, Peter Atkins, Xiao Bai, Irene Barberis, Christopher Beaumont, Yvonne Boag, Marion Borgelt, Robert Boynes, Warren Breninger, Angela Brennan, Kerry Buckland-Lewis, Janet Burchill, Jon Campbell, Jon Cattapan, Zhong Chen, Greg Creek, Hazel Dooney, Franz Ehmann, Sarah Faulkner, Prudence Flint, Juan Ford, Louise Forthun, Dale Frank, Mark Galea, Marie Hagerty, Stephen Haley, Melinda Harper, Katherine Hattam, Robert Hunter, Lindy Lee, Euan Macleod, Louise Paramor, David Ralph, Gareth Sansom, Joan Nancy Stokes, Guy Stuart, Wilma Tabacco, Aida Tomescu, Stephen Turpie, Darren Wardle and Jenny Watson. An exhibition of the finalists and winning work will be open from 29 January 2005 to March 6 2005.
Chris Beaumont’s Paintings will be exhibited in Melbourne at Cobalt Gallery, 27 Toorak Road, South Yarra.
From the 17th of March to 9th of April, Chris Beaumont will be exhibiting his latest still life’s at Melbourne newest contemporary Art Gallery Cobalt Gallery .
John Nolan, Gallery Director is an avid collector and admirer of Chris Beaumont’s complex .and beautifully painted still-lifes, has admired his work for many years and is very excited to be able to present his works at his new gallery. Beaumont’s work is in the collections of the National Gallery of Victoria and many major corporate collections and private collections, he was twice selected for the prestigious Moet and Chandon touring exhibition and now has been announced the winner of the People’s Choice Award in Bendigo.
Born in Melbourne, Australia in 1961, Chris Beaumont began academic life in the Medical School at the University of Melbourne. It was in microscopic anatomy classes where he was urged to make a “diagram” of his observations rather than a “drawing” which turned on the metaphorical light bulb and sent him off to study Painting at the Victorian College of The Arts.
Chris discovered his passion for painting still life in the final year of art school and has pursued this branch of painting consistently since then. “Still Life is the Particle Accelerator of painting where the artist gets to examine reality itself.” says the artist.
Chris’ exquisite still life paintings of vegetables and fruit are a testament to his long affair with the meticulous glowing still-life paintings by early 17th Century Spanish Masters.
Finely rendered fruit or vegetables rest on a simple ledge or plinth where they glow against the black background which is perfected by applying fifteen different glazes of red and green oil paint. This gives a black of exceptional richness and depth to create an abstracted virtual space. The space of 3D Computer Assisted Design, modern cinema and animation, computer gaming and corporate informational visualisation is human created space, itself an idea where other ideas can be visualised.
Like the Spanish artists he admires these still-lifes are arranged on geometrical principles. The most alluring quality of the work is its deceptive simplicity. Humble objects become beautiful and precious and create a moment of stillness and contemplation.
Opening Night at Cobalt Gallery is Thursday 17th March from 7-9.30pm
About Arthur Guy Memorial Prize.
Mr Allen Guy C.B.E. has initiated the Prize in honour of his late brother Arthur Guy who died during WWII, with equal assistance provided by the Bendigo Art Gallery.
The Guy family are prominent in the Bendigo region. Mr Allen Guy C.B.E. has served on various committees including as Chairman of Sandhurst Trustees 1979-1989. Mr Richard Guy OAM is the current Chairman of Bendigo Bank and has held this role since the late 1980s.
Arthur Guy Prize Judge and Deputy Director, National Gallery of Victoria: International, Tony Ellwood added, “The quality of entries for this prize reflects the significance of this award and the standing and contribution of the Bendigo Art Gallery in Australia. It is justifiably a prize of national importance.”
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