Melbourne artist wins $10,000 Deakin University Contemporary Small Sculpture Award

Melbourne sculptor Michael Sibel has won the 2013 Deakin University Small Sculpture Award for his entry Primitive Dance.

Now in its 5th year, the annual acquisitive award and exhibition is organised by Deakin's Art Collection and Galleries Unit.

Forty-one finalists were selected from 207 entries by a judging panel comprising of sculptor Geoffrey Bartlett; Senior Arts Officer/Curator Whitehorse Artspace Jacquie Nichols-Reeves; and Deakin University's Art Collection and Galleries Manager Leanne Willis.

Mr Sibel won the $10,000 prize for his 30 x 20 x 50cm (in two parts) piece made of bronze.

Discussing his work, Mr Sibel said: "The anthropomorphic forms in my figurative sculptures explore the dynamics between the primitive impulse and modern life."

Ms Willis said the judges felt Mr Sibel's work was well resolved, strong and strikingly independent: "Once again, there was a very high standard of work in this year's award, and I would like to thank everyone who entered for submitting an extraordinarily diverse range of pieces," Ms Willis said.

"We felt Michael Sibel's work had an interesting ambiguity as it merges both abstract and figurative elements; there is a beautiful lyrical nature to the piece."

Michael Sibel holds a Bachelor of Fine Art Honours (Monash University, 1998) and a Graduate Diploma of Education (University of Melbourne, 2006). In May 2008 he won the University of Western Sydney acquisition award for his work Carousel. His work has also been included in Contempora 2008 and the Montalto Sculpture Award. His work is represented in a variety of collections including Artbank, Monash University and various private and public collections.

Each sculpture is no bigger than 70 cm in size and the award-winning sculpture becomes part of the Deakin University Art Collection.

The University has considerable strengths in arts and entertainment management, heritage and museum studies, and creative arts. This exhibition is aimed at supporting contemporary artists, promoting close links with industry and involving past and present students in the event.

Previous winners have included:

* 2012 – Lisa Roet, for Spider Monkey
* 2011 - Stephen Bird, for Boxers.
* 2010 - Robert Hague for Trojan Hammer (200%)
* 2009 - Stephen Benwell for Statue, Grey-Pink Man

Where:
The exhibition of finalists is at Deakin University Art Gallery, Building FA, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood.

Exhibition Dates:
The exhibition runs until Saturday, 14 December, 2013.

Gallery Hours:
Tuesday – Friday 10am – 4 pm, Saturday 1 pm – 5 pm (Closed Public Holidays)