Alex Davern, Night Splash, 2018, pigment print and vinyl on aluminium. Image courtesy the artist and Bett Gallery, Hobart
Alex Davern has won the tidal.18: City of Devonport National Art Award’s People’s Choice prize for his work Night Splash, a pigment print on aluminium
Davern, who is now based in Hobart, achieved his Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Tasmania in 2012. In addition to being included in tidal.18, Davern was also selected for two prestigious awards in 2018, the Glover Prize and the Hadley’s Art Prize.
Devonport Regional Gallery Director Geoff Dobson said Davern’s work attracted a clear majority of votes.
‘Night Splash depicts a poolside scene at night, with the image referencing a screen shot of a film on a digital device. Some visitors wondered where we had hidden the remote and I think the strong composition and the subtle humour is what really caught people’s minds,’ he said
‘Alex Davern’s work will not be added to the collection as the People’s Choice is a non-acquisitive award.’
The People’s Choice Award was sponsored by One Agency Collins Real Estate.
The biennial tidal.18: City of Devonport National Art Award is sponsored by the Devonport City Council and the Friends of the Devonport Gallery and is currently valued at $15,000. The next tidal will take place in 2020.
