Wynne Prize finalists, 2021

I wrote about the Sulman and Archibald hangs earlier this month, and now turn my attention to the final of the three famous prizes, held each year at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

As usual for the Wynne – which is a painting prize for landscape – the entries were dominated by Aboriginal works of art. Sone truly amazing items on display this year among the finalists. The strength of the Indigenous cohort seeming to help inspire those using more Western styles of painting to exert themselves to make stunning works of art.

The work on show is of an exceptionally high quality but landscape painting has a particularly strong history in my country – presumably due to the amazing visual impact of the outdoors – as a casual visit to Facebook Marketplace indicates. The number of scenes of country life that are available to purchase for a very little amount of money is indicative of a rich tradition. Any of the pieces shown below could be proudly displayed in practically anyone’s home. 

Though, as usual, some are very large, including Laura Jones’ ‘Bushfire ephemerals – Wollangambe wildnerness’. This painting depicts a strange phenomenon where the combination of heavy rain and bushfires in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney resulted in a blanket of wildflowers appearing, which the artist has captured in oil on linen.

There is something very Eastern about this painting, with its dazzling array of casually-placed flowers, each of which contributes toward creating a sense of riot. Nevertheless it’s a calm sense of peace that the work inspires in the viewer, as though the world were spinning on the correct axis.

The winner of the prize this year was Nyapanyapa Yunipingu’s ‘Garak – night sky’, which I initially thought was a painting of flowers (see below). It depicts a story from Aboriginal mythology.

Leah Brady’s ‘Piltati tjukurpa’ is from the APY lands and also depicts part of the Aboriginal creation myth. The wonderful use of colour in this painting is intrinsic to Indigenous art practice.

Dhambit Munungurr’s ‘Wandawuy’ depicts the landscape and fishing practices native to an area in east Arnhem Land. A careful choice of related colours limits the palette of this work, lending it an unreal air, as though it were a dream being shown to the viewer. You can see the freshwater crayfish in the picture, however, which links you to the real world.

Nicola Bartos’ ‘Into the glade’ uses a palette resembling the one exploited by the winner of the Sulman Prize (and also by fellow Wynne finalist Leah Brady). It’s a delicate mix of ochre and green, the brown colours standing in for shadows where they are used to create contrast. This painting depicts an imagined scene that was drawn from memories.

Kenan Namundja’s ‘Ngalyod (Rainbos Serpent)’ is also creation mythology, the animal in question being central to the stories told by Aboriginal people to explain how they came to being in the world. This painting uses more traditional Indigenous methods, including extensive areas of cross-hatching.

Julianne Ross Allcorn’s ‘Thesaurium insula (treasured island)’ matches the same artist’s Archibald entry in using liquid trees to create drama and movement in the canvas.

William Mackinnon’s ‘Adventure and folly (i)’ uses dark colours in a dramatic fashion to energise the space with ghosts. 

The subject of Leah Bullen’s ‘Arid garden, Wollongong’ is in the botanic gardens in that city, a place I visited several times at the beginning of the year because I was temporarily staying down there.

The simply amazing picture shown below is by Katjarra Butler. Titled ‘Korrmanguntja’ it hardly requires any commentary. Once more, a scene from Aboriginal mythology.

Daniel Peta’s ‘East MacDonnell Ranges’ is quite lovely, the tan colour used echoing similar colours in other paintings displayed this year. I love the teal sky, as well, and the yellow trees. Lots of surprises in this work.

Jun Chen exhibits at Nanda/Hobbs Gallery in Chippendale, and his ‘Dried bush’ is very beautiful, depicting a particularly Australian scene, one that’ll be familiar to anyone who’s spent any amount of time in the bush.

Luke Sciberras’ ‘Hat Hill Road’ goes back to wildflowers again – echoing Laura Jones’ painting’s insistence on renewal.

Finally, here’s another Aboriginal mythology painting, this time by Naomi Kantjuriny, Mona Mitakiki and Tjampayi Presley. It’s titled ‘Seven Sisters’. What colour – the warmth of the tones making you think of other paintings in the same exhibition.