Jerwood Sculpture Prize 2009

About

Now, it is the 5th commission of Jerwood Sculpture Prize, aims to 'give strong support and encouragement to emerging talent within the medium of outdoor sculpture'. The winner of this ￡25000 worth commissioning prize will create the final work which will be sited on the ground of Jerwood Sculpture Park at Ragley Hall in Warwickshire.  

The works exhibited at Jerwood Space are very diverse in terms of shape, materials used, size etc. From conventional pieces in terms of form, a radiating golden square panel titled 'Folia' by Susan Forsyth, to a UFO shaped spinning marble piece titled 'Close Encounter' by David Worthington to a machine that destroys to build titled 'Chimera' by James Copper. It also encompasses works that look like architectural structures such as a metallic sphere which can be a shelter for visitor ' 'Ragley Sphere' by Will Nash, two tapering towers on top of each other ' 'Yield' by Michael Visocchi and a kinetic wooden house ' 'Beehive' by Alan Goulbourne & Marielle Hogg.  In comparison to the previous year's short listed works, quite a few of this year's are interactive and participatory.

It is not easy to guess which one will be realized and erected at the end. What you need to imagine is how the final sculpture fit in with the park. Taking one step back from the maquettes, imagine yourself placed somewhere in the park and recreate what these artists have proposed (the images of the Jerwood Sculpture Park in the first gallery helps to do this). This is what is fascinating about the maquettes. While conveying artists' concrete visual idea to us, they also are stimulating the viewer's imagination, as they are not the real (final) ones.

Selecting only one, however, is even harder if you read through all of the supporting statements presented on the gallery wall because each one has persuasive power. The nature of such an exhibition, a commission prize, means that understanding background ideas and intentions behind each of the sculptures is something you should pay attention to. So, when you visit this exhibition, you will find out why Alex Frost has designed a cloud shape discarded rice drink package ('Rice Dream') and what made Thomas-Bisham work on mysterious set ('Untitled; Light in the wood').

The winner will be announced on 24th of March and the exhibition runs until 9th April. There is a series of talk events with artists, curators and judges which run alongside the exhibition every Monday from 6pm. (booking recommended)