The 1st prize went to Paul Birchall for his work, Inner Spaces; followed in 2nd place by Drummond Murphy’s Thelonius Monk: Reflections 1952. Merit awards went to both Stefan Blom for Into the light fantastic; and to the winner of the 2016 competition, Desmond Smart, for his 2017 entry, Memories, Dreams, Star Rats.
The tondo (round artwork) competition showed significant growth with a 45% increase in the numbers of entries received; this year from all over South Africa. The theme for 2017 was Reflections - a subject which provided opportunities for many exciting and interesting interpretations. One hundred and seventy artists took up the challenge and a total of 240 works were entered. Of these, 54 were selected for the finalists’ exhibition which consisted of four prize winners and 50 finalists.
The Tollman family, owners of Bouchard Finlayson, are great supporters of the arts in South Africa and sponsored this competition for the fourth consecutive year, to the tune of R70 000. The winner received a cash prize of R20 000, followed by a second prize of R10 000, and two merit prizes of R5 000 each. The competition was judged by Stefan Hundt, Curator of the Sanlam Art Collection; Lien Botha, well-known South African photographer and writer who was the curator of this year’s Sculpture on the Cliffs exhibition; and Michael Godby, Emeritus Professor of History of Art at the Michaelis School of Art, UCT.
The winner, Paul Birchall, is an established Cape Town artist who works alongside a group of artists at his Swains Yard Studios in Observatory. The winning painting, entitled Inner Spaces, at first tricks the viewer into seeing it as a traditional still-life painting. Only on further inspection does one realise that the image is mirrored on itself, creating a surreal world in both the reflected interior and the space it exists in. This painting is the latest in a series of more than 50 paintings by the artist. Each one contains the same silver pot in a different environment or interior, where each painting retains the same composition yet is complexly different. Working with the same reflective pot, the artist has travelled looking for the right interiors to reflect. The prize-winning piece belongs to a series based on studies made at the Irma Stern Museum reflecting the studio and home of the artist.
The exhibition of the winners and finalists’ work is on display for public viewing in the Bouchard Finlayson wine cellar until the end of September (Mondays to Fridays from 09h00 to 17h00 and on Saturdays from 10h00 to 13h00). A unique venue for an art exhibition, the tondi are hung on the ends of barrels in the working cellar. Ten works have already been sold, with the rest available for sale until the end of the exhibition.
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ABOUT BOUCHARD FINLAYSON
Established in 1989 in the temperate Hemel-en-Aarde Valley on 125 hectares (312 acres) of Walker Bay's prime viticultural land, Bouchard Finlayson Vineyard and Winery is a small cellar dedicated to the quality production of Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc. Ever since releasing their first vintages, the name Bouchard Finlayson has been internationally synonymous with excellence. Today, owned by the Red Carnation Hotels’ Tollman family and under the leadership of Victoria Tollman, founder Peter Finlayson and winemaker Chris Albrecht, 25 hectares (62 acres) of the estate are currently under vine with 50% devoted to the varietal for which Peter is most acclaimed – Pinot noir. Other cultivars under production include Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc and Sangiovese, as well as a handful under exploration. Bouchard Finlayson is a World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Conservation Champion.
Situated on the R320 near Hermanus, Bouchard Finlayson vineyard and winery is open for tastings and sales Monday to Friday from 09h00 to 17h00 and on Saturdays from 10h00 to 13h00. For further information, call +27.28 312 3515; email info@bouchardfinlayson.co.za; or visit www.bouchardfinlayson.co.za.