Andrew Cowen, Matthew Martin, 2014, digital print
The Devonport Regional Gallery is proud to present the National Photographic Portrait Prize. Organised by the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, this prestigious award is selected from a national field of entries that reflect the distinctive vision of Australia’s aspiring and professional portrait photographers and the unique nature of their subjects. The winner of the 2014 Award was Andrew Cowen for his portrait titled Matthew Martin.
The organisers of the Award noted: Throughout the selection process, the photographic portraits that continued to rise to the top told us something deep about the sitter. We were looking for portraits that gave a strong sense of the person depicted. When it came down to the final judging, our top ten, then three, then two, showed us an increasingly subtle and real sense of the person in the portrait. The winning portrait is striking in its minimalism and it shows a cloudy complexity of thinking – the person in the portrait is looking outwards and inwards.
The Gallery is very excited that Matthew Cowen is travelling from Sydney to open the exhibition and the curator, Sarah Engledow, will present a floor talk the following day at 11am. Matthew will be available for an interview and photograph on Friday afternoon.
The Devonport Regional Gallery will host a series of programs for the duration of the exhibition including the ‘Creative Nook’ where visitors can build on a collective story about the artworks on display and a public ‘After Hours in Conversation’ with the Director, Ellie Ray on Thursday 19 February at 6pm. For further information please contact the Gallery on 6424 8296 or email [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
This exhibition is supported by the National Collecting Institutions Touring and Outreach Program, an Australian Government program aiming to improve access to the national collections for all Australians.
Tracy Broomhall, Gallery Administration Officer | Devonport Regional Gallery | Devonport City Council
