Each year this competition unearths a number of talented newcomers to the art scene. Unlike most other art competitions which award on the basis of a single artwork, this competition is specifically designed as a staged process, and looks at a body of work. The reason for this is that The Lovell Gallery is looking to identify and help develop an artist's long-term collectability. There are a number of factors that affect collectability that cannot be judged by a single artwork, no matter how brilliant it may be.
Our competition process is designed to facilitate assessment of some of these less obvious factors. These include the artists' ability to build up a body of work, thematic consistency, their commitment and professionalism.
After the group show, we select a solo winner and then work closely with that artist for a year towards a professional solo show presented by The Lovell Gallery.
This year, Vivien Kohler was selected to exhibit a solo show in 2014.
Vivien's paint and collage works deal primarily with the realities of unfair perception. He has developed his theme together with a strong style and some interesting visual devices. His works display technical competence, originality and authenticity. They have emotional power as well as visual impact. We believe Vivien Kohler is a young artist to watch, and we are pleased to be working with him as his career develops.
Entry forms for the 2014 Artist competition will be available on-line and in the media from January 2014.
For more, go to www.lovellgallery.co.za.
