Arty party opens exhibition

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 656, 1 October 1996, Page 1

Arty party opens exhibition

An abstract renditionof a vision when the artist was travelling in Nepal was the winning painting in the 18th annual Ohakune Art Awards, which opened on Sunday with a special function attended by artists and art lo vers from around the district. Wanganui painter Glen Hutchings, who recently finished his studies at Wanganui Polytechnic, took the Elizabeth Baigent Memorial Premier Award, with his work entitled Self. "This painting showed a deep seated power which slowly emerged," said the judge, Bill Millbank, director of the Sargeant Gallery in. Wanganui. He said it showed confidence and energy of brush stroke and subtlety of tonal shift in the flesh-coloured background. "And a spirited vibrancy of the yello w gesture, breaking through and hovering centre-stage, making it charged with emotion, selfsearching," he added. Mr Hutchings explained his painting was from a series with religion as an influence. He said havingjust left polytech, he wanted to start with simple paintings, simple but powerful. The predominant red colouring was his "gutsy colour" and the yellow signified going towards light, positive and growth. Awards Other award winners were: in the open section, Jane Mitchell's The Gladwrap Roll Salutes the Eggcup, Stanislaw Mancewicz's Flowers of Sacrifice, Prakash Patel's Cosmic Axis. Life study award winner was Timothy Pekamu's Life On The Board — a shearing shed scene. The Ruapehu District Award went to Paul J'anssens of Taumarunui

with Milford Sound. The Bames Y oung Artist Award went to Raymond Hemopo

of Ohakune with his untitled w6rk. Major sponsors for the

exhibition are: the Ohakune Hotel Pub Charity, High Country Brokers, the

Baigent family, the Ruapehu District Council, and Bea and Dot Barnes.