Mountain hoovered for art prize

Advertisement

Clips from Adele Vye's On Wasting Energy, her entry into the Welsh Artist of the Year 2009 competition.

Jewellery made from coal and a film of a woman vacuuming on a mountain are among the entries to have made the Welsh Artist of the Year shortlist.

Both pieces will be among dozens to be exhibited at St David's Hall, Cardiff, from Sunday, when the overall winner will be announced.

The ninth competition, which began in 2000, was entered by 500 artists.

The winner will be presented with a cheque for £2,000 by arts broadcaster Nicola Heywood Thomas.

Artists will also be honoured in eight categories - applied arts, drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, student and time-based media, as well as four commendations.

The newest category, time-based media, has been introduced to reflect the growth in animation, short film and documentary-making, said the award's organisers.

One of the entrants in this category is 26-year-old Adele Vye, whose five-minute film, On Wasting Energy, shows her vacuuming the earth on Mynydd Gellionen above Pontardawe.

Replacing the more conventional carbon used in jewellery - with the less 'precious' coal, I wish to express the importance this material has played in our industrial history Nicola Palterman, jeweller

She made the piece for an exhibition based on art created around a gas pipeline which was being laid through the Welsh landscape.

"The work On Wasting Energy comments on our domestic need for energy and its excessive consumption in the home and society," said Ms Vye, who is from Port Talbot.

"The piece traces back to source, by literally 'plugging into' the ground above the massive Liquid Nitrogen Gas pipeline which runs through Wales."

Swansea jeweller Nicola Palterman's necklace Aur Du features silver cups with pieces of coal or anthracite set inside.

Disillusion by Corrie Chiswell is one of the pieces that has been shortlisted for the award In pictures: Welsh Artist of the Year 2009

"I've always taken my environment as a source of inspiration," said Ms Palterman who also makes jewellery from Welsh slate.

"Fundamentally coal and diamonds are carbon. Heat and pressure change coal into diamond and the alteration in crystal structure results in colour change.

"Replacing the more conventional carbon used in jewellery - with the less 'precious' coal, I wish to express the importance this material has played in our industrial history, perceiving the coal to be the precious element."

One of the judges Jenni Spencer-Davies, who is the curator of the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea, said the final show will be "thought-provoking".

"The diversity and range of work covered many of today's issues - especially the environment," said Ms Spencer-Davies.

"Using different means to present the challenges we face both locally and globally, some artists highlighted the threats to our environment, whilst others used their humour to bring us on board with their thinking."

'Strong reputation'

Curator Ruth Cayford, said: "This year the standard of entries has gone through the roof.

"I feel like the competition has really come of age and the number of entries from established and professional artists has gone up.

"We've already built a strong reputation in Wales, but now the art world outside of Wales is taking notice."

Launched during the millennium year to promote Welsh artists, the Welsh Artist of the Year competition is open to any amateur or professional artists over the age of 18, living and working in Wales, and any Welsh-born artists working in the UK.

The winners will be announced at 1430 BST on Sunday and the exhibition at St David's Hall runs until 25 July.