Jonathan Gabb Wins Showdown Competition; Vivien Zhang Named Runner-Up.
Artist Jonathan Gabb is the winner of its “In Glorious Colour” Showdown competition by Saatchi Art, presented in partnership with the Saatchi Gallery and Winsor & Newton. The prize, which attracted a record-breaking 6,440 entries in a period of just 12 days, is the most highly-submitted art prize in the world.
The judges of the Showdown competition were acclaimed artist Jaime Gili; Nigel Hurst, CEO of the Saatchi Gallery; Rebecca Pelly-Fry, director of the Griffin Gallery; and Rebecca Wilson, Chief Curator, Saatchi Art.
The winning work, entitled Deep Gum 8, is a celebration of how an abstract painting can engage with architectural form. Jonathan Gabb noted in his entry submission that, “[By] adhering to the walls and ceilings and enveloping lighting within a given space, the ribbons of paint generate a luminous and vibrant composition which constantly changes as the viewer moves into and around the work.”
Launched in 2010 as an opportunity for art collectors to discover emerging artists from around the world, Showdown is a competition hosted by Saatchi Art for artists to showcase their work and have the chance for it to be judged by internationally celebrated artists and curators. Gili, widely acclaimed for his vividly coloured geometric works, joins previous judges who have included Barnaby Furnas, Ged Quinn, Wangechi Mutu, Peter Coffin, Dexter Dalwood, Matthias Weischer and Chantal Joffe.
The works of the 10 finalists will remain on exhibition at the Griffin Gallery until April 18, 2014 and online at www.saatchiart.com/showdown. The finalists include Robert von Bangert (USA), Matt Coombs (USA), Arpad Forgo (Hungary), Jonathan Gabb (UK), Guy Matchoro (France), Cécile van Hanja (Netherlands), Dragomir Misina (UK), Alexandros Papathanasiou (Italy), Jessica Rimondi (Italy), and Vivien Zhang (UK).
