Marie Ellis OAM Prize for Drawing 2019, QCA, Griffith University, Southbank.
August 2, 2019
Opening Speech
Nina Simone sings “Do I MOVE you?”
I overheard one of the judges last night say:” I want to be more INTIMATE with this work.”
Over in the other gallery across the space here on the campus are signs warning viewers that some of the installations might DISTURB them.
Graffiti on trains makes some people VERY ANGRY.
We are here again tonight, 10 years on since the late Gregg Greinke won the inaugural Marie Ellis OAM Prize for Drawing and where one of this year’s judges – Vernon Ah Kee – was also a judge because we STILL believe that ART as the voice of the prophets written on the subway walls in the sounds of silence through the discipline of DRAWING should AFFECT people.
As South African artist William Kentridge says: ” I am an artist. My job is to make drawings, not to make sense.”
Our vision at Jugglers and in the MEPD is that the drawings entered keep on getting better and that they continue to reflect that sentiment. This means that something has happened IN the artist and TO the artist – that is – that their MARK MAKING skills are maturing and that they are finding the voice of their soul.
This has happened again this year.
Look at these finalist drawings and look again until you begin to see.
Read and re-read the artist statements.
Talk with the artists.
Talk with the judges.
And – buy some art.
What art is on your walls at home?
Does it move you?
Doe it calm you?
Does it excite you?
Do you love it?
If there is no art here tonight that you fall in love with then can I suggest that you buy other GOOD art elsewhere to contribute to artists getting better and to assist them in finding again the voices of their souls.
Peter Breen/Director/Jugglers
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