Awards

Mid West Art Awards

Winning Entry of The Eastman Poletti Sherwood Architects Mid West Award:

The inaugural Mid West Art Awards have been a great success not just for the entrants and award winners but for the Mid West region of Western Australia. We are proud to announce that Photographer Karl Monaghan has won an award for his entry in this years Eastman Poletti Sherwood Architects Mid West Awards.

This Image was taken at dusk on location at Rio Tinto Salt Mine on Lake McLeod just north of Carnarvon in the Gascoyne Region of Western Australia on 16th October 2010. There is over 250,000 tonnes of high grade freshly harvested salt on this pile. With light reflecting around the crystals as the sun set I worked two cameras simultaneously, changing orientation and lenses as fast as possible, bracketed portrait sets for panoramic stitching, single wide angle  shots, soft grad filters, you name it I worked it! My chaperon and friend Keith Hand, himself a keen photographer, watched on as I continually lost my hard hat (essential personal protective equipment or PPE for short) and worked my way through 30 minutes of ever changing light. Winning this prize would not have been possible without the support of the senior management team of Rio Tinto Salt, Lake Mc Leod and Keith for taking me pretty much anywhere on site. Thanks Keith!

On presenting my final images to the site manager a few weeks later they chose this image to be printed and framed for their new offices in the Boulevard Carnarvon, making the image a ltd edition I made 2 prints on Metallic Pearl, No 2 for my clients and No1 for my own gallery.

With the Mid West Art Prize 2011 looming it was presented along with another favourite image for consideration. Both pieces being accepted for exhibition from over 400 entries, WOW! More than happy just to get the acceptances at such a prestigious event. It is the richest non-acquisitive art prize in Western Australia with a total prize pool of $45000.

Opening night last night, and as I walked around the Geraldton Greenough Regional Art Gallery, glass of red in hand, musing over the 70 final entries of magnificent art, winning a prize for one of my entries was far from mind. As the Gallery Director James Davies started announcing the winners of the  six prizes up for grabs, three had already gone, then something to do with a pile of salt caught my ear, I looked at my wife as my name followed on with the roll of words and there you have it. The Eastman Poletti Sherwood Architects Mid West Award.

Thank you to everyone who has encouraged me and supported me, especially my wife, I am very proud to have been awarded this prize.