2006 winner of the Metro 5 Art Award announced
15 February 2006
A 32 year old Tax Office worker living in Brunswick, Melbourne, Samuel Leach, has won this year’s Metro 5 Art Award Judges’ Prize worth $40,000 with a painting called Dividendgame featuring a dead partridge hanging over the sign of an elevator. Samuel, originally from Adelaide, beat over 400 other entrants from around Australia.
The winner of the Metro 5 Art Award People’s Choice category worth $10,000 is 31 year old Northcote man, Eolo Paul Bottaro, with his tri portrait of well known artist, Rick Amor. Over 3,500 people voted in the People's Choice Award.
The awards were announced today at Metro 5 Gallery in Melbourne by former Victorian Premier and 2006 Selection Committee Chairman, the Honourable Jeffrey Kennett, AC.
According to Samuel, Dividendgame "references Dutch still life painting and encourages a close encounter with the work. The invitation to interact on a human scale is the exact opposite of that in any normal corporate lift well. The painting juxtaposes the two traditions, starkly exposing the spiritual vacuum of the corporation by introducing the vanitas symbol (the partridge) into an empty corporate space."
An economics graduate, Samuel also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and is currently completing his Masters of Fine Arts by research at RMIT University in Melbourne.
Of his day time job at the Tax Office, he says: "It helps pay the bills. Sales of my paintings are increasing, but I don't yet make enough to rely on that as my only source of income. Luckily, the Tax Office has been quite flexible for me and I've been able to spend quite a lot of time focusing on my study and my art."
Mr Kennett said: “Samuel's entry is a wonderfully arresting painting which simply stands out from the rest in terms of both its unique style and subject matter. It was the unanimous choice of all five judges and Samuel deserves to be congratulated not only on the quality of his painting, but also for his skill in developing such a distinctive theme."
As well as Mr Kennett, the judging panel included Chris Deutscher, Executive Director of Deutscher Menzies Auction House; Simon Close, Director of the Benalla Regional Art Gallery; artist Emma Langridge; and art collector Elizabeth Cole.
Metro 5 Director, Dr Michael Nissen, also congratulated the winners and finalists on their achievements. “We hope their success in 2006 will act as an encouragement for all emerging young artists in Australia today and will encourage further participation in the 2007 Art Award,” he said.
All works by the finalists will be exhibited at the gallery until 26 February and most will be for sale at prices as set by the artists. The winning paintings will be acquired by Metro 5 Gallery.
