Deakin announces winner of 2015 contemporary small sculpture award

Australian artist Kendal Murray has been named the winner of this year's Deakin University Contemporary Small Sculpture Award for her entry Provision, Revision, Decision, Division.

Ms Murray's dream-like miniature world was judged the best of an inspiring field of 46 finalists chosen from a record 353 entries.

Deakin Vice-Chancellor Jane den Hollander announced the winner of the $10,000 prize at the official opening of the small sculpture exhibition at the Deakin University Art Gallery in Burwood on Tuesday evening.

Provision, Revision, Decision, Division captivated the judges with its unique combination of whimsy, social observation and ecological insight.

The judges said on a miniaturized scale, this deft and exquisitely made sculpture stood out for its capacity to interrogate nostalgic ideas of family and recreation while offering a fantastical yet disquieting meditation on unseen environmental change.

In discussing her work Ms Murray said Provision, Revision, Decision, Division takes the form of an assemblage of household items from a bygone era which yield a botanical specimen, and a miniature figurative scene.

"The items have been freed from the meanings of their original use and propose a way to re-experience time past, as a dream like experience," she said.

Now in its seventh year, the annual Deakin University Contemporary Small Sculpture Award and exhibition is organised by Deakin's Art Collection and Galleries Unit.

Each sculpture entered must be no bigger than 70 centimetres in size.

The finalists and eventual winner were selected by the judging panel comprising of Professor David Cross – Professor of Visual Arts at Deakin University, Ken Scarlett OAM – writer and curator on Australian sculpture, and Leanne Willis – Manager, Art Collection and Galleries at Deakin.

The exhibition runs until Friday 10 July.

Previous winners include:

• 2014 - Mikala Dwyer, Empty Sculpture
• 2013 - Michael Sibel, Primitive Dance
• 2012 - Lisa Roet, Spider Monkey
• 2011 - Stephen Bird, Boxers.
• 2010 - Robert Hague, Trojan Hammer (200%)
• 2009 - Stephen Benwell, Statue, Grey-Pink Man

For more information:  www.deakin.edu.au/art-collection

Exhibition details

Where: Deakin University Art Gallery, Building FA, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood.
When: Wednesday 10 June until Friday 10 July 2015. Tuesday to Friday, between 10am and 4pm.