Cossag art awards were exceptional this year.

The judges, Dr Anne Kirker and Mike Mitchell from Mitchell Fine Art Gallery, were very impressed with the high quality of the entries.

The exhibition opened with record numbers attending on the Friday night.

The awards went to:

Over all First – the Cossag award – Randy Degraw with “3D Quad Triptych” an exceptional sculpture that rotated and presented multiple faces from 3 highly embellished columns.

“I have always liked interesting and unusual shapes. Looking at objects from different angles can alter your perspective of it. With this in mind and years of wood working experience, I wanted to create a sculpture that would have multiple configurations while utilising a single viewing point. This set of three columns, observed from a single position creates four different designs from each individual face.”

Second prize – The Kennedy prize – Brian Hatch with “Configuration” this painting had outstanding colour, composition and technique.

“The connecting shapes in this painting suggest the various peoples of the world coming together. All are one when they turn to the central figure, Christ, represented by the three light shapes. The patterned panels of colour suggest a stained glass window. The touches of green and brown are our concern for the environment which we are responsible.”

The purple colour below suggests the unknown, while the red and purple above offer faith and hope for the future. Although the shapes are different they unite in CONFIGURATION as they turn to him who is the ONE and the light of the world.

Third prize – Sponsored by Mullins Lawyers – Bronwyn Doherty with “In Sympony” this painting had incredible detail and movement representing all of nature.

“In Symphony depicts a connection between man as represented by the many symbolic cultural patterns in the work and nature.  I have tried to emphasize the inter-dependency of man and nature as the cultural patterns are quite often derived from an organic source of reference. Interspersing the pattern and the flowers, represents and emphasises the beauty of the world when it works in harmony.”

Print Makers Prize – Kay Watanabe with “Whispers of the universe” a collagraph. This piece was perfectly executed.

Kay’s  works are often about humanity and nature. She creates works using such motifs as water, air and planets while considering how humans interact each other, and how they have used, co-existed, destroyed, restored and conserved nature.  Her entries under the theme “All are One” are about humanity who, she hopes, will find a way to live together nicely and peacefully as they share the same destiny under the same sky, on one tiny planet in the universe.

People’s Choice – sponsored by Anthony Storry Real Estate – Michael Cheshire with “Unity of Nine” this hanging sculpture had a lot of presence and created a wonderful illusion.

“The theme “All is one” immediately brought to mind the Bahai religion and the number nine which represents all religions united. So a nonagon it is, being a geometric artist working with wood and natural colours. I chose nine different woods to represent the differences in human appearances. Each piece is from a tree that lived for a long time, and part of its life can be seen in the colour and structure of the wood. All is one achieved from three interlocking Penrose triangles made with a cubic structure. Cubes being elemental.”