3rd Prize Winner: Mothmeister
3rd Prize Winner
Mothmeister
“Postmortem Fairy Tale”, Digital photography [Canon 5Ds – Sigma lens 24-105 mm]
Mothmeister is the nonstop morphing alter ego of two artistic soulmates based in Belgium, home of surrealism.
“Postmortem Fairy Tale”: Similar to the Victorian era when dead dear loved ones were photographed as a memento mori for the relatives, Mothmeister immortalizes dead animals in a weird and wonderful fairytale world through their Postmortem Fairy Tales.
2nd Prize Winner: Tamara Dean
2nd Prize Winner
Tamara Dean
“Endangered 1”, Digital photography [Canon 5Ds, 35mm lens]
Tamara Dean is a critically acclaimed photo media artist working in photography, installation and moving image. Dean’s practice explores the relationship between humans and the environment. Tamara was a selected artist for the 2018 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art and has been awarded first prize in numerous awards including the 2020 Goulburn Art Award, 2019 Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize, 2018 Josephine Ulrick & Win Schubert Photography Award and 2018 Meroogal Women’s Art prize. Tamara’s work is held in notable collections including the National Gallery of Australia, Parliament House Art Collection, Canberra ACT, Art Gallery of South Australia, Artbank. Tamara Dean is represented by Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney.
“Endangered 1”: ‘Endangered 1’ is a re-framing of the notion of ourselves as human beings – mammals in a sensitive ecosystem, as vulnerable to the same forces of climate change as every other living creature. The difference being that the power and responsibility lies with us.
1st Prize Winner: Lexi Laine
1st Prize Winner
Lexi Laine
“Cardumen”, Digital photography [Sony A7Riii, 28mm f2, Nauticam housing]
Lexi Laine is a British artist working in the medium of photography. Based on the south coast of the UK, Lexi specialises in creating ethereal underwater scenes in some of the most unique and pristine locations around the globe. Works responding to the human impact on the marine environment can be seen throughout the artist’s portfolio. Influences of historical painting, fantasy and folklore can also often be found in her images. Lexi enjoys explorations of surreal contradictions, blurring boundaries and using photography as a means to create otherworldly, emotive art. She has spent several years training as a freediver in order to extend the amount of time she can stay underwater. Lexi chooses not to use scuba equipment and instead undertakes all of her work on a single breath hold. More often than not her photographs depict a single female or multiple women, featuring highly skilled freedivers as the subjects.
“Cardumen”: Cardumen meaning shoal, is inspired by heavenly scenes in baroque frescoes. Pale limbs and delicate fabric form a stark contrast to the dark muted tones and the eerie branches. The circumstance of these women seems incongruous but also at the same time somehow their movement is fluid and harmonious.
Thank you & Acknowledgements
Congratulations to the 2020 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize iCanvas Photography Award Winners, Lexi Laine, Tamara Dean and Mothmeister!
I would like to take a moment to thank all of the artists that entered, sharing their work and their artistic passion with us. It was such a pleasure to immerse myself in the work of so many creatives from all corners of the globe and read their inspirational stories. Thank you also to all the artists that entered in previous years, and again this year – one of which is Mothmeister who has won 3rd Prize in this year’s Photography Award!
As Beautiful Bizarre Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief I have the pleasure and honour of curating each issue of the magazine and curating our yearly exhibitions! The many wonderful and talented Art Prize entries we received have given me a plethora of new ideas and choices to pursue in future. I will also be taking the opportunity to share many of the amazing entries submitted over the coming months on our social media platforms, as I truly believe that all of these artists deserve more recognition and promotion of their work. So thank you again for your interest in the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, I very much hope to see how your work has grown and developed in next year’s Prize.
I would also like to sincerely thank the 2020 Jury Panel, particularly the Photography Category Judge Ellen Rogers, who gave her time and expertise to the panel, the other Category Judges: Kate MacDowell [Sculpture], Rafael Grassetti [Digital Art], Hannah Yata [Traditional Art]; Museum Gallery Director Rachael Parsons of New England Regional Art Museum; representatives from our amazing sponsors INPRNT, ZBrush, iCanvas and Yasha Young Projects, Directors of Modern Eden Gallery Kim Larson and Bradley Platz, and of course to my partner, Beautiful Bizarre Magazine‘s Co-Founder Richard Purssey. The judging process was extremely difficult this year with so many exceptional entries, so thank you again!
Finally I would like to once again extend my thanks to this year’s Photography Award sponsors listed below. It is through your generosity that the Photography Award Winners will be able to enrich their practice.
Danijela Krha Purssey, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.
iCanvas Photography Award
The iCanvas Photography Award 1st prize winner will receive:
- US$3,000 cash, generously donated by sponsor iCanvas, printers of high quality canvas art prints, priced for every lover of art
- A beautiful specially commissioned art glass trophy.
- The opportunity to exhibit in the prestigious Beautiful Bizarre Magazine exhibition at Modern Eden Gallery [San Francisco] alongside 80+ of the world’s best contemporary representational artists
- Exposure to a successful commercial gallery’s collector base with the opportunity to sell their work
- 3 month social media advertising package (Beautiful Bizarre Magazine: 1 Million + followers across all socials platforms)
- Exclusive in-depth interview published on the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize and Beautiful Bizarre Magazine websites + shared on social media
- A year’s worth of inspiration – a print subscription to Beautiful Bizarre Magazine
2nd and 3rd prize winners will receive:
- The opportunity to exhibit in the prestigious Beautiful Bizarre Magazine exhibition at Modern Eden Gallery [San Francisco] alongside 80+ of the world’s best contemporary representational artists
- Exposure to a successful commercial gallery’s collector base with the opportunity to sell their work
- A year’s worth of inspiration – a print subscription to Beautiful Bizarre Magazine
- An exclusive in-depth interview published on the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize and Beautiful Bizarre Magazine websites.
Timeline
- 1st week of September: Winners announced
- 1 Sept: Yasha Young Projects Sculpture Award Winners announced
- 2 Sept: iCanvas Photography Award Winners announced
- 3 Sept: ZBrush Digital Art Award Winners announced
- 4 Sept: INPRNT Traditional Art Award Winners announced
- 5 Sept: Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize 1st Prize Winner, Honourable Mentions & People’s Choice Winner announced
- 24 October – 13 November 2020: Beautiful Bizarre curated exhibition ‘Midnight Garden’ at Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco.
