Reading the Walters Prize

While the selection of this year’s Walter' Prize finalists has certainly encouraged a great deal more discussion than in the past, the traditional news media remains pretty apathetic.  An upcoming profile of Simon Denny in Metro may have a halo effect on the Prize, so a potential flicker of interest there possibly, but fortunately online there have been wide ranging and thoughtful responses. Cheaper than buying a newspaper and non of that irritating rustling noise. Checking them out is more than worth the effort.
 
EyeContact has delivered not one but four reviews (Terrence Handscomb, John Hurrell, Emma Jameson and Natasha Matila-Smith) all taking a serious look at the finalists, the politics of the WP and the work. The Pantograph punch leads with a quiz and follows up with Janet McAllister reckoning art is the winner on the day. Te Papa pitches in with a piece by Nina Tonga on finalist Kalisolaite ‘Uhila  and a long interview by Abby Cunnane with finalist Maddie Leach. The sane companion blog of Masters student Katherine Stewart promises to follow the award with regular commentary.  There’s probably more and if you let us know we’ll we’ll add them in.

Maybe the traditional mainstream media have had their day when it comes to the visual arts. At the same time as specialist print publications like Art News are taking the Prize very seriously interviewing all the finalists, Mark Amery’s fortnightly review has been dumped from Wellington's Dominion Post as of last month. But you can still catch his fortnightly reviews online at The Big Idea.