Who's in the running for the $30,000 William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize?

A total of 59 photographers have been chosen as finalists for the 2017 William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize $30,000 acquisitive first prize. They were selected from 897 entries, an increase in 43% from 2016, by the judging panel which comprised artist and educator, Susan Fereday, architect and collector Corbett Lyon, and MGA Senior Curator, Stephen Zagala.

© Gerwyn Davies
© Gerwyn Davies

Fereday commented on the quality of submissions, indicating that while choosing was tough, “there were enough strong photographs to fill several shows.” She went on to say that there is an enormous diversity in engagement and ambition with the medium right now, and that “photography is in a really healthy place.”

Recently, photography competitions have been in the spotlight, with much public discussion taking place, especially around the announcement of Justine Varga’s Maternal line as the winner of this year’s Olive Cotton award for photographic portraiture. Varga’s cameraless photographs have been shortlisted in four previous Bowness Photography Prize exhibitions and has been shortlisted again this year.

© Silvi Glattauer
© Silvi Glattauer

While the Bowness Photography Prize is non-thematic, entries this year reveal the diversity of Australian photographic practice. Gender diversity, LGBTQI rights, repatriation of indigenous remains, bio-diversity in first nations, and drone photography are some of the powerful thematic concerns explored by shortlisted finalists.

The Bowness Photography Prize judging panel will convene again when the exhibition has been installed to choose a winner, which will be announced on 19 October. The exhibition runs from 14 October to Sunday 26 November 2017.

Finalist’s images can be viewed here

© David Rosetzky
© David Rosetzky

Finalists

  • Hoda Afshar
  • Tim Allen
  • Rushdi Anwar
  • Kris Arnold
  • Robert Ashton
  • Peter Barnes
  • Del Kathryn Barton
  • Colin Batrouney
  • Elaine Batton
  • Olga Bennett
  • Vanessa Bertagnole
  • Tom Blachford
  • Polly Borland
  • Peter Bratuskins
  • Eric Bridgeman
  • Jane Burton
  • Elaine Campaner
  • Stuart Chape
  • Danica Chappell
  • Peta Clancy
  • Emilio Cresciani
  • Gerwyn Davies
  • Lauren Dunn
  • Tanya Maria Dyhin
  • Amos Gebhardt
  • Silvi Glattauer
  • Robert Hague
  • Rhett Hammerton
  • Alana Holmberg
  • Eliza Hutchison
  • Leah King-Smith
  • Peter Lambropoulos
  • Helga Leunig née Salwerowicz
  • Jon Lewis
  • Janelle Low
  • Tayla Martin
  • Kent Morris
  • Nasim Nasr
  • Will Nolan
  • Jill Orr and Christina Simons
  • Polixeni Papapetrou
  • Izabela Pluta
  • Jenny Pollak
  • Clare Rae
  • Kate Robertson
  • David Rosetzky
  • Jo Scicluna
  • Damien Shen
  • Matthew Sleeth
  • David Stephenson and Martin Walch
  • Suellen Symons
  • Christian Thompson
  • Tobias Titz
  • James Tylor
  • Henri van Noordenburg
  • Justine Varga
  • Lisa Walker
  • Amanda Williams
  • Robin Williams

 

© Christian Thompson
© Christian Thompson
© Amos Gebhardt
© Amos Gebhardt
© Nasim Nasr
© Nasim Nasr