The People’s Choice Awards for the 2024 Northern Beaches Environmental Art & Design Prize were announced in late August.
January 2015 Pittwater Online News Artist of the Month and crowd favourite Shona Wilson has been awarded the People’s Choice Award at Manly Art Gallery & Museum for the second year running. Her work explores what scientists have termed the ‘insect apocalypse’ and the preciousness of these small creatures.
Balgowlah local Tate Boswarva was the People’s Choice winner for Design at Curl Curl Creative Space. Her wearable art challenges over consumption, fast-fashion and the impact of plastic waste.
At Mona Vale Creative Space Gallery, the People’s Choice Award for young artists and designers went to 14-year-old Sierra Knights, another peninsula resident, for her beautiful creation of the endangered whale shark.
Now in its fourth year, the Environmental Art & Design Prize continues to build on its reputation with an increase of 15% in entries this year from across the nation.
The exhibition features thought-provoking works by 200 artists and designers from across Australia at three Northern Beaches locations. Visitors were able to vote for their favourite work at all three venues.
Each winner receives $1000 in prize money to support their creative practices.
Manly Art Gallery & Museum – Art
Shona Wilson
Precious
insect wings and parts on Arches archival 300gms paper, 66 x 86cm
Shona collected these insect wings and parts over a couple of decades and always squealed with delight at the chance findings. Having stored them for so long the artist decided to use them in a single work. Each found specimen was a precious jewel, both in appearance and in function. The shape they form overall is also like a jewel, glistening, alluring and beautiful.
During the making of this work, Wilson started to more consciously looking for dead insects- both surprised and sad from just how few insects were around, and how few had been found in the last 10 years. Wilson lives regionally in an area surrounded by National Parks and a 'healthy environment' - so where are the insects?
Insects are particularly susceptible to changes in temperature and moisture. They are experiencing what some scientists term an Insect Apocalypse. This work is a lament and an adoration for the preciousness of our natural world, and its exquisite fragility.
Curl Curl Creative Space – Design
Tate Boswarva
Occyan Morphosis
17 upcycled denim jeans, 21 metres of recycled soft plastic packaging, 8 chewing gum containers, 9 mineral water bottles, 3 takeaway containers, cyanotype dying liquid, repurposed cotton thread and invisible zipper, 60 x 170 x 40cm
Occyan Morphosis is inspired by marine life entangled in plastic waste. I envision a future where animals mutate for survival and take a journey of metamorphosis. The bolero, bralette, and trousers, created from 17 upcycled denim jeans - each stitch a reminder of the 4,000 litres of water typically required to produce a single pair - alongside 21 metres of discarded fast fashion plastic packaging and sequins repurposed from chewing gum containers, coffee cup lids, water bottles, and takeaway containers, collected over the past five years, serve as symbols of a hopeful future built upon principles of sustainability and resourcefulness.
Tate has utilised the sun's energy to dye the fabric through the cyanotype process, incorporating objects that mirror ocean pollution, allowing the environment to influence the design, resulting in denim that reflects the colours of the ocean. This wearable art encourages viewers to re-imagine our relationship with the environment and embrace creativity for a greener world.
Mona Vale Creative Space Gallery – Young Artists & Designers
Sierra Knights
Always spotted but rarely seen
flour paste, paper from recycling bin, cardboard from recycling bin, used paper towel, acrylics, masking tape, 50 x 92 x 22cm
The whale shark is a vulnerable species due to habitat loss in the form of overfishing of reef fish, coastal development, land based pollution, increased boat traffic and noise pollution. Also the constant threat of fishing, harassment and boat strikes are endangering this rare fish.
I tried to bring awareness that this gentle giant is actually endangered. As a 14 year old girl shark fanatic I’d like to think I captured this animal’s beauty through my art piece. I made this whale shark out of cardboard and paper from our recycling bin. I tried my best to make it decomposable so the glue is made out of flour and water. I thought by doing this I could minimise recycling waste in my home to create art and honour the endangered fish that is the whale shark.
The Environmental Art & Design Prize continues to showcase the influence the environment has on artists and designers. In turn, using their focus on the natural world, environment renewal and regeneration to influence the community with innovative ideas, introspection and reflection.
Earlier in August the winners for this year’s Environmental Art & Design Prize (EADP) were announced. Held at the Manly Art Gallery & Museum (MAG&M) on Thursday August 1, guest judge, Genevieve Smart, fashion designer and co-founder of Ginger & Smart congratulated each winner.
Now in its fourth year, the Prize continues to build on its reputation with an increase of 15% in entries this year from across the nation.
The Environmental Art & Design Prize continues to showcase the influence the environment has on artists and designers. In turn, using their focus on the natural world, environment renewal and regeneration to influence the community with innovative ideas, introspection and reflection.
Congratulations go the each of the talented winners:
Art
Winner: Gaspare Moscone – artwork: Aletheia
Highly Commended: Thomas Thorby-Lister – artwork: Rainwater 04
Angela Tiatia – artwork: The Dark Current
Design
Winner: Elliot Bastianon – Design: Oregon Chair
Young Artist/Designer aged 7-12 years: This year there are joint winners
Winners: Portia Pringle – artwork: Reborn
Jeremy Zhang – artwork: A Magical Jungle
Young Artist/Designer aged 13-18 years: This year there are joint winners
Winners: Isabella Wu – artwork: We
Lucy Wang – artwork: Thrive and Dive
Highly Commended: Skye Yu – artwork: A Smear of Crimson
Northern Beaches Council's Mayor Sue Heins said this year’s finalists were impressive.
“This year’s entrants have again inspired us with their innovative submissions. I’m sure the judges had a difficult time selecting the winners.
“The Northern Beaches has always fostered and supported the art and design world. Combining these creative endeavours with the natural environment and sustainable living can, and does, motivate and stimulate the discussion about new ideas and innovative practices to improve our community.” Mayor Heins said.
Background on winners’ submission:
ART: GASPARE MOSCONE
Aletheia
molong marble, 70 x 25 x 50cm
These bones find timeless existence in marble, granting enduring witness.
Relics hold narratives. Deformity and marks translates the very imprecise happening of life, like the countless events that shape experiences of all creature.
This artwork is a relic to invoke power, knowledge, reminding of delicate human endeavours.
Unwavering, it reveals hidden truths, often overlooked and unacknowledged, standing as a testament to the ultimate silence of our actions and the fragility of human behaviour.
DESIGN: ELLIOT BASTIANON
Oregon Chair
timber, copper, 28.5 x 75 x 45cm
Oregon Chair is constructed from a reclaimed Oregon timber beam and paired with a salvaged copper pipe to create a simple structure.
The form is unfussy, leaving the materials to do the heavy lifting with their generous sizes and contrasting surfaces. The aged copper and fine growth rings are an acknowledgement of time and change and encourage the viewer to consider our relationship with materials that may have had a previous life elsewhere.
The huge dovetail joint which proudly stands front and centre is a nod to the kind of craftsmanship seen in more traditional furniture, and a gesture of durability and permanence.
Elliot Bastianon's Oregon Chair
YOUNG ARTIST/DESIGNER 7-12 years Joint winner: PORTIA PRINGLE
Reborn
recycled cotton/wool yarn, 100 x 150cm
My artwork is called 'Reborn'. The artwork is not about reusing clothing, but seeing if I could reuse the material. I am always receiving hand me downs from friends and family. I received a jumper that I didn’t like but I liked the colour and the material. I unthreaded the jumper and re-crocheted the yarn into a scarf. By doing this I was able to repurpose the material into a new and exciting piece of clothing.
This process has allowed me to look at not just recycling clothing but recycling materials.
YOUNG ARTIST/DESIGNER 7-12 years Joint winner: JEREMY ZHANG
A Magical Jungle
markers and pencil, 75 x 16cm
This is a world with small creatures big, and big creatures small.
Young (7-12) category: Joint Winner Jeremy Zhang with artwork 'A Magical Jungle'. Photo credit Karen Watson.
YOUNG ARTIST/DESIGNER 13-18 years Joint winner: ISABELLA WU
We
watercolour paper, watercolour brush pens, pencil, 25 x 50cm
The interconnectedness of nature and blossoming of life guides me to live with nurturing kindness.
YOUNG ARTIST/DESIGNER 13-18 years Joint winner: LUCY WANG
Thrive and Dive
acrylic paint on canvas, 38 x 53cm
Birds serve as powerful symbols of hope and resilience, inspiring us to persevere in the face of our own challenges and to cherish the preciousness of the natural world.
Despite the relentless human development and the degradation of habitats, the sacred kingfisher continues to hunt tirelessly, in both the sky above and below.
Lucy Wang's 'Thrive and Dive'
Photos courtesy NBC, 2024