'SERIOUS ART FOR SERIOUS TIMES'
Since its inception, the DLA Piper Art Award has sought to support young artists, fresh from college. Six finalists are chosen by a small panel of judges. This year, Sue Hubbard, a journalist, Tony Bevan, an established artist, and Alex Dell, a partner at DLA Piper, looked at the work of graduates from over forty colleges across the UK and selected:
ANAHITA REZVANIR (painter), SACHIYO NISHIMURA, HELEN SAUNDERS and LOUISE CARRECK (photographers), and KATE IVE and SUE MORGAN (installation artists).
Sue Hubbard comments that:
'The work that was finally chosen displayed not only skill and originality, but also showed an awareness of the world we live in, with its pressing struggles of war, climate change, mental health problems and globalisation. Anahita Rezvanir's Goyaesque images and Kate Ive's subtle installation both demonstrate a sensitivity to politics without ever being didactic, whilst Helen Saunders and Louise Carreck warn, in their uncanny images, of a dystopian future. Something, too, of the terrible beauty of industrialisation is captured in Sachiyo Nishimura's poetic, yet spare images, while Sue Morgan's installation, which borrows from surrealism, trawls the depth of the psyche, investigating mental fragility.
Our aim was to choose art that was not only visually engaging but that also made us think and challenged our preconceptions. We believe that this is what we have achieved with this brave new work.'€™
This is a timely exhibition in the context of today. Modern societies have been growing and living beyond their financial and environmental needs and these young vanguards see the surrounding challenges and face them with intelligence and bravery. We hope that you will join us in supporting their achievements and future endeavours.
For further information or images, please contact the gallery.