Kāpiti artist Lisa Call wins highly commended at Parkin Drawing Prize

Lisa Call with her artwork Aragon at the Parkin Drawing Prize.

Kāpiti artist Lisa Call was awarded highly commended at the prestigious Parkin Drawing Prize award ceremony last week.

The Parkin Drawing Prize, now in its 10th year, is sponsored by arts patron and philanthropist Chris Parkin.

Lisa had two pieces shortlisted, with her work Aragon being highly commended.

It is one of the first in a new body of work that is informed by Lisa's time growing up in northern New Mexico in the United States before travelling to New Zealand.

"Throughout my 20-plus-year career as an artist, there have been a few pieces where things just went perfectly and I had a good feeling about the work," Lisa said.

"Aragon was one of those pieces. So I was thrilled when I heard my name announced as the validation is always wonderful to receive."

Head judge Felicity Milburn said Lisa's work continued to beckon her to another time every time she came back to it.

"Several of the works I saw took me to a different place, but one seemed to beckon towards another time.

"Aragon is a richly worked textile that glows with an almost medieval lustre.

"Its golden surface hums with tightly contained energies, as lines of tight stitching create both texture and depth.
"Despite the sense of movement, it feels almost ceremonial; a strange and beautiful work."
Lisa said, "I've just started on this series and so it will be a while before I really zero in on exactly what I'm saying with the work.

"I was really interested in what the judge had to say about the work as without knowing anything about the artwork, she described my intentions with it quite accurately."

The Parkin Drawing Award was the creation of Wellington philanthropist Chris Parkin, who said he thought one of the things missing from the New Zealand art world was a "reasonably substantial drawing award".

"I decided one of the contributions I could introduce to the art world which would have some enduring potential."

Parkin has no say at all in which works win the prize — and he ensures the judges are different each year.

"I've never been tempted to judge it myself — I don't always agree with the judges and that's probably a good thing — what I would choose and what the judges choose is almost always different, which gives it more artistic credibility, and by changing the judges every year it ensures we never get in a rut.

"I don't want artists thinking, 'oh I won't enter the Parkin because I know what sort of thing wins it, and that's not what I do'."

The Parkin Drawing Exhibition will run until September 11 at the New Zealand Fine Arts Academy, Queens Wharf, in Wellington.

All artworks will be for sale and for the first time, all previous winners of the Parkin Prize will be displayed among this year's winners and finalists, to mark the award's 10th anniversary.