“It was the one I kept coming back to, finding something new and engaging on each view and the image remained with me long after I left it behind.”
That was the judge of the $10,000 Molly Morpeth Canaday Art Award speaking about her selection of this year's winner Evan Woodruff. But there was more to this selection than simple gut reaction. As the local Whakatane Beacon put it, the judge was “familiar with Woodruff’s work, so she also recognised the progression of his skill.”
In fact the judge, Jennifer Buckley, was being a little theatrical with the keep-coming-back thing. One of the reasons she was already very familiar with Woodruff’s work is because she shows it at OREXART, the dealer gallery she co-founded and directs in Auckland.
It's probably why Buckley also told the Beacon that as judge it was her “responsibility to give the awards to people who can truly benefit from it.” That attitude certainly got a big high-five from the artist. He in turn told the Beacon that his win “just went to show that it came down to the particular judge and what they liked.” That’s true.
Image: the small dog that wags its tail when you visit OREXART.
