2017 RESULTS
Marike Bruwer Award for Visual Art (Photography)
First of all a big thank you to all of the participants who took part in this small event. This event is a way to acknowledge Marike’s impact on us by means of her photography as well as her connection with some of our PSSA members when still “on this side” of life.
Unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances the dates for this year’s competition was difficult to organize and manage, but next year we will again align our dates to ensure we have our winners before PSSA annual congress in Port Elizabeth.
In 2019 we will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the award and I am thinking of something bigger perhaps. One option is to judge the 30 winners over the 10 year period to select the top three out of those.
Please check PSSA website for details and closing date for the 2018 Marike Bruwer Award. We will most probably bring in an additional international judge, also a good acquaintance of Marike. Thank you and good luck!
An audio visual is available with all the images if there are members interested to receive a copy, please contact me. The size of the file for downloading is 67 Mb.
Congratulations to Charlaine Gerber for her winning image “Only know you love her when you let her go”
Charlaine Gerber receiving the Marike Bruwer Trophy
Second place is Francina Swart with “Beautiful noise”
In third place we have Martin Barber with “Natures Child”
I have asked each judge to give a short comment on the three winners and this is what they had to say:
Izak van Niekerk (South Africa)
1st – Very creative with soft subtleties. Great composition with slight movement and selective depth of field. The sepia colour adds to the success of the image. I can see that Marike would have created something like this.
2nd – Lots of effort in the post processing. Good composition. The more I looked at the image, the more I saw. Very well put together.
3rd – Very creative piece of art. Superb title to go with it. Very similar to am image of 2016.
Diane Skinner (Canada)
1st – Elegant, graceful, fragile are all words that come to my mind when I view this image. The author’s choice of reducing the intensity of the colour hues really enhances the ethereal feel of this image. Congratulations to the author – well deserved 1st place.
2nd – Dramatic and mysterious feel to this image. I can see that the author spent some time adding different elements to this image in order to convey his vision. Very creative composition well executed. Congratulations.
3rd – Another very creative expression in which I see and feel a sense of wonder and innocence by choosing this beautiful child as its main subject. Each element added to this creation were very well thought of. Congratulations.
Adri van Oudheusden (South Africa)
1st – Excellent concept and idea, good use of shallow depth of field to create a softness in the flowers to make you feel the atmosphere. Integration fair.
2nd – Good integration of various elements, colours, contrast and placement heighten the focus an almost impressionistic style. Cold and warm contrast helps balance the image.
3rd – Beautiful watercolour painterly technique helps to emphasize a softness around the model’s face. One can read several stories into the image. Inclusion of the butterfly creates balance in the image.
Antenie Carstens (South Africa)
1st – I agree with Izak, I really can “see” Marike in this image. The colours and tonality of this image and the fact that we do not see the person is telling the story. The absence of a personal recognition is symbolic to me which means that it can be applied to any viewer of this image.
2nd – Initially this image may appear very straightforward, but studying the image in terms of light, colour and composition, it becomes more meaningful. To me the image illustrates our current living conditions with all kinds of media, social and living “noise” very well.
3rd – A well composed image with good colours and composition reflecting the connection with nature.
Regards
Antenie Carstens (November 2017)
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