Many of you will have been following the Learning Connexion staff member James Brown in his quest to exhibit his paintings. This week we see how he went at the prestigious Wallace Art Awards.

Words from James Brown – “The Wallace Art Awards are held annually by the James Wallace Arts Trust. Previous winners of the Wallace have been Bill Hammond, Peter Stichbury and Judy Millar. This year there were four residencies up for grabs and two cash prizes all amounting to a $150,000 prize pool. The selection process begins with 115 finalists being preselected from 450 entrant photographs for an opening exhibition, taking place in the Aotea Centre and the Salon des Refusés (translate as you please) at The Wallace Arts Trust Gallery.

I was lucky enough to reach this stage with a two and a half meter tall painting of a goat-headed man on an autopsy bench. This turned out to be one of the less controversial pieces at the exhibit; a finely painted female head bursting into the shape of a flowery vagina, a sculpture of a human skeleton made completely of pastel green acrylic paint and a brain made of curled up strips of multicoloured foam took the cake in this respect.

This is not to mention the winners Marcus Williams and Susan Jowsey with two photos, one of a young girl in a ballet leotard and one of the artist (Williams) staring despondently with what looks like a pink fluffy toy on his head. I’m just not in the same league when it comes to controversy.

John “Banksy” Banks opened the evening and, without dragging on, talked about the new Super-City / Wallace partnership in the Pah Homestead which will soon hold the Wallace collection for at least the next 30 years.

Walking around the main exhibit and the “Salon” other standouts for me were “3D Snakes and Ladders” by Serene Thain; a tower of ladders made from balsa wood and dominos and Turnskin Kingdom’s “Will Need: Instruments of Peace #4. Giant Pip Fists” which were just that – boxing glove sized nectarine pips carved from rimu.

There were an incredible array of artworks, which impressed me in many different ways, and though I was mildly disappointed to be relegated to the “Room of Rubbish” I was impressed and proud to be alongside talented artists such as Alexis Neal, Sam Foley, Scott Gardiner and Janna Van Hasselt.”

You can watch James’ video blog here.