The Moran Arts Foundation has announced the 150 semi-finalists for its annual Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, believed to be the world’s most valuable portrait prize.
This annual competition, established as part of Australia’s bi-centennial celebrations in 1988, has grown to be one of the country’s most prestigious art awards, attracting almost 1,000 entries in 2014, up ten percent on last year’s entries.
The Doug Moran National Portrait Prize awards an acquisitive prize of $150,000 to the winner, plus $1,000 to each of 30 finalists.
The competition invites entries of original works from Australian artists, capturing Australians from all walks of life, whether a public figure or someone from their own circle of experience.
Images of the 150 semi-finalists work, submitted from all corners of the country, are now available for public viewing at http://www.moranprizes.com.au/gallery/portrait
Thirty of these works will be selected as finalists and be on display at the 2014 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize exhibition, which will be open to the public free of charge throughout the summer, from October 29, 2014, to February 15, 2015, at Juniper Hall in Paddington, Sydney.
Below are some of my favourite works:
'Rosie'
Joshua Cocking
'Spit'
Prudence Flint
'Bill-1383'
Louise Hearman
'Alice'
Dagmar Cyrulla
'The Stone Sculptor(Tony McWilliam)'
Peter Smeeth
Straight into the Sun
Julian Meagher