Hunter Valley artist Paul Selwood has been named winner of Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2011 and awarded with the Balnaves Foundation Sculpture Prize of $65,000.
The prize is the most generous for sculpture in NSW, with the winning sculpture being gifted by The Balnaves Foundation to the Royal Botanical Gardens.
Hamish Balnaves, general manager of The Balnaves Foundation, awarded the prize to Selwood for his work paradiegma metaphysic at the launch of the fifteenth anniversary exhibition in Mark’s Park. Selwood’s large painted green steel sculpture is truly 3D in form, changing with every angle it is observed from, creating a dynamic experience for the viewer.
Selwood began making sculpture in 1964 after he enrolled at East Sydney Technical College. He was technical assistant at the Royal College of Art, London from 1965–8 and worked for Sir Anthony Caro, one of the world’s most influential sculptors and an invited artist at this year’s exhibition.
Since returning to Australia in 1971 Selwood has had over twenty-six solo exhibitions and has been included in numerous group exhibitions. He was lecturer in charge of sculpture at USQ 1977–82 and lecturer in sculpture at Newcastle University 1986–96. He is included in many public collections including that of the Art Gallery of NSW.