2006 Exhibition

The 2006 National Works on Paper was won by Melbourne artist Gareth Sansom. Selected out of a nation wide search and shortlist of 46 Australian contemporary artists Sansom won the $15,000 John Tallis Acquisitive Award for his work Life after Bacon. Sansom is considered one of Australia’s most significant and influential artists and has been exhibiting in Australia and overseas since 1966. Highly regarded for the sheer vitality of his images, the winning work is multi-layered. Sansom was delighted to win this prestigious award, saying ‘I think that Life after Bacon really is to do perhaps with the idea that after having a giant crush on this artist’s work [Francis Bacon] in the early 60s, I was able to meet the man in 1967, to quickly conclude that I needed to find my own way, and this work hopefully reflects that I have.’

The 2006 NWOP judges selected Pat Brassington’s work Drummer as the winner of the $5,000 Tisdall Wines Print Acquisitive Award. Both works are now a part of the MPRG’s nationally recognised collection of contemporary works on paper.

The 2006 NWOP exhibition brought together the finest collection of contemporary works on or with paper by artists across the country, from rising stars to the most established artists. Showcasing the work of 46 artists, the exhibition revealed the exciting and often surprising ways in which artists are engaging with paper, using traditional methods to the latest computer imaging technologies.

2006 Judges

Professor Sasha Grishin, Head, Art History, Australian National University
Kelly Gellatly, Curator, Contemporary Art, National Gallery of Victoria
Paul Boston, artist