Young at art winners, 'spectacular' says judge

When Julia Mendel won the top award in the 2007 Clancy Prize Religious Art exhibition she was the last to know.

The 18-year old student arrived 20-minutes after the presentation of awards at the exhibition opening and awards ceremony at the Australian Catholic University (ACU) National Gallery at Strathfield last Friday.

"People started congratulating me and I wasn't exactly sure why I was thanking them," she said.

"I knew I had won something, but I didn't know which award until my dad told me that he had accepted the major prize on my behalf."

Julia, a former student at Loreto College, Kirribilli, says she was surprised to find out that her major art work for the HSC had taken out top prize in the eighth annual RE exhibition organised by the Catholic Education Office (CEO), Sydney and partnered by ACU's School of Education and School of Arts and Sciences for students from Catholic secondary schools in the Archdiocese of Sydney.

Less surprising is why Julia was late. She was travelling from Canberra where she is now studying Art History and Curatorship at the Australian National University.
"I hope to be an Art Curator one day, but we'll see," she adds modestly.
Julia's winning artwork, 'Transient Referent: Memory', is an installation of the theme of
the exhibition - "Just as I have loved you, you should also love one another", (which is also the 2007 World Youth Day theme).

Julia says she used a combination of photography, sculpture, print making and found art, to create a contemplative environment and encourage people to be self-reflective just as the scripture reference is suggesting.
"I worked with the theme of memory - using a book - to present this idea subtlety," she said.
One of the four judges, Lachlan Warner, Curator of ACU's National Gallery and Senior Lecturer in Visual Arts and Design, said that Julia's artwork stood "head and shoulders above the other works" because of this "depth and nuance".
"All four judges gravitated towards her work because of the way she created nuances and subtleties about interior space and reflection using found objects such as books, wax tablets and other materials that we can all relate to," he said.
"Her work doesn't scream at you, but that's one of its virtues. It's well-executed and very sophisticated, and for an 18-year old artist that's pretty spectacular."
In his first year of judging, Mr Warner said that he was impressed with the overall quality of all the works and surprised that "teenage artists have a real awareness of contemporary art practices."

One of these works came from former Christian Brothers' High School, Lewisham student, Andrew Elchah, who won the Monsignor Tony Doherty award for his work 'Portraits of Infinite Beauty: shades of self', which according to Mr Warner "is an example of contemporary expressionism."

"Andrew's artwork articulates the exploration and process of questioning within ourselves in a wonderful, bold and dynamic charcoal drawing," he said.

"If the price was right, I'd buy it myself!"
Coen Young, a former student at De La Salle College, Cronulla, also received one of the most special awards at this year's exhibition.
Coen received the new Brian Jordan award in recognition of his artwork titled, 'Self portrait with Piero's Baptism of Christ', for depicting a portrait of himself.
Tim McMullen, Head of Secondary Curriculum at the CEO, Sydney (and one of the competition organisers), said this was a special award created for the first time to tribute the "outstanding contribution" of the late Brian Jordan, a founding member of the competition and a Visual Arts Coordinator at Marist College, Kogarah.
"Brian, who passed away earlier this year, tried to encourage the students from Catholic secondary schools to reflect in their artworks the peaceful and joyful messages of the Gospel, which in many ways reflected his own joyful, compassionate and peaceful character," he said.

List of winners

The Clancy Prize award: Julia Mendel, Loreto College, Kirribilli.
Brian Jordan award: Coen Young, De La Salle College, Cronulla(pic:100);.
Monsignor Tony Doherty award: Andrew Elchah, Christian Brothers' High, Lewisham(pic:91);.
ACU School of Education awards:
"Reaching Out" ¬- Krizelle Gacuma, Clancy Catholic College, West Hoxton(pic:24);;
"12,15,20,5" ¬- Year 10 group work, Holy Cross College, Ryde; and
"Peace by Piece"¬- Year 7-10 group work, De La Salle College, Caringbah(pic:12);.
ACU School of Arts & Sciences awards:
"Spiritual House" - Joel D'Angelo, St Mary's Cathedral College, Sydney (pic:42);
"Both Sides of the Gun" - Laurren Brannigan-Onato, Trinity Catholic College, Auburn; and
"Love Makes the World Go Round" - Year 9-10 group work, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Kensington(pic:23);.
Judges' Commendations:
"Enigma" - Julia Kenny, Loreto Kirribilli.
"Safe Haven" - Chris Cuschieri, Marist College, Kogarah.
"No Armchairs Were Harmed During the Faking of this Pilgrimage" - Emma O'Donnell, St Patrick's College, Sutherland; and
"The Nurturing" - Daniel Yashadhana, Holy Cross College Ryde