The Australian Landscape.

[Neville Briggs]

Ross Magnay posted a poem about the outback landscape and how it inspires artists.

If you care to look up on the web, this years winners of the Archibald, Sulman and Wynne art prizes, you might be puzzled as I am about the winner of the Wynne Prize. It is an old motorcycle dumped into a box mounted on a push bike. The thing is, the Wynne Prize is awarded for Australian Landscape art.

Perhaps Ross could have done a poem about a rusty old car body dumped along the track, would that have done for a poem reflecting on Australian landscape ??

[r.magnay]

...closer than you might think Neville...

[Irene]

In the terms of the bequest of the late Richard Wynne of Mount Wilson, who died in 1895, the Wynne Prize is awarded to what the judges consider to be the best landscape painting of Australian scenery in oils or watercolours, or for the best example of figure sculpture by an Australian artist.

Landscapes can include seascapes and cityscapes. A figure sculpture can be abstracted, but at the same time clearly derived from a figurative source, either a person or an animal.

I can't figure it out either Neville - the bike and cart are not even outside - they are in a room!!
Certainly doesn't fit the australian landscape criteria.
Figure sculpture??? Can't see anything to reflect that either!! Makes you wonder what the judges see, doesn't it???

Catchya
IRene

[keats]

Hey, fair go! It was a painting of my back yard with the shed door open!! I thought my 10 year old niece captured it perfectly!!!

[Irene]

Ah yes, now I can see, Keats!!!
There's a spare windscreen wiper in there, and an old petrol cap, and........ oh, all those other things you keep nicking off the poets!!!
Yep, your niece captured it very well!!!

[Bob Pacey]

Better not nick my wiper at Bundy thats all that is holding the rest of the car together !!!!!

Bob The Broke Poet .

[Neville Briggs]

I think I know what you mean Ross. I thought of that aspect after I had posted it.


You're very learned on art matters Irene. I enjoy modern art and understand as best I can the pushing of the boundaries, but I think they have demolished the boundaries and that is no longer art. I think art requires boundaries because that is the very nature of art; working within some structure or limit.
I think that the content of things like the Wynne Prize has got away from the original intent of the prize which I believe would have been to celebrate the unique experience of encountering the Australian landscape. The painters seem to be intent on encountering themselves.

A similar thing has happened with some of the contemporary poetry. John Whitworth calls it
" that dreadful formless way..... Stephen Fry has a couple of extremely rude metaphors to describe it ( shall we say to do with self abuse and gastric upsets ) .

I read contemporary poetry. So much of it seems to be poets talking to themselves about themselves, and any meaningful connection with the reader or listener is of no significance..

I think that introspection is an element in poetry but needs to be balanced with encountering things outside of ourselves., and certainly needs to incorporate a dialogue with the reader or hearer.

Do you know what I mean ?
Do I know what I mean ? I am not sure.

[Bob Pacey]

They gotta be bloody kidding. That is a shocker !

I think the judges have been out in the sun to long.

I love a sunburnt motorbike in a trolly

I don't think so

Bob

[Heather]

It's stupid, not art.

[Zondrae]

Oh Heather,

Look at those numbers creeping up. I woder if anyone else has ever been close to 1000. (without even trying)?