2018 Results
Marike Bruwer Award for Visual Art (Photography)
The Marike Bruwer Award is an open competition for Photographic Visual Art for all PSSA members.
2019 Marked the 9th year of this competition to celebrate the life of Marike who passed away in 2006. The number of entries over the years have varied but I am happy to say there are the participants who do consistently take part every year and I thank you all for that interest.
This year we had the normal mix of entries, each participant created and submitted work, which is meaningful to them in the category and interpretation of photography as visual art. It is entirely up to the judges to select what they choose to be suitable winners.
Over the years I have always invited judges who knew Marike well as they shared her vision of what is creative in this category. This year I invited Don Martel from Canada to join us and this gave us two overseas judges.
I am happy to announce the winner of this year’s trophy entitled: “Entwined” by Paula Rutherford. The 1st runner-up was Lynn Kruger-Haye with “Hope needs courage” and 2nd runner-up Charlaine Gerber with “With time the child draws in”. Congratulations to all.
Winner: “Entwined” by Paula Rutherford
As usual, I asked the judges to give a brief comment on each image. I have had two judges who responded and I give their comments as below:
Entwined
Adri van Oudheusden:
Excellent concept and idea, well executed. Good integration of various elements, colours and contrast. The author paid attention to the placement of all elements.
Johan Kloppers:
The image has a very strong impact and the composition is nicely balanced. The processing was also done very well.
1st runner-up – Lynn Kruger-Haye with “Hope needs courage”
Adri van Oudheusden:
Careful consideration to placement of various elements, as well as the lighting which leads the eye to the model. Good colour harmony. The map on her back and the tree growing from it symbolises hope.
Johan Kloppers:
Well exposed image. Very good base. Strong storytelling image. Personally, I think that the left-hand side is a bit on the heavy side could have been cropped off putting the figure in the centre of the picture.
2nd runner-up – Charlaine Gerber with “With time the child draws in”
Adri van Oudheusden:
Delightful model, enhanced by her position in the frame as well as the delicate whispy treatment, textures and colours.
Johan Kloppers:
The composition works for me although the main figure is towards the left-hand side in the image. The negative space behind the little girl is nicely filled with the flowers; The expression on the girls face well captured. The overall balance of the colours is really nice.
Next year, 2019 will be the tenth Marike Bruwer Award competition and I am waiting for confirmation of a substantial prize, which will be privately funded hopefully. I am planning to enter all the top 3 winners of each year and invite judges to select the best of the ten years for the prize. The 2019 winners will still be selected as normal for the award of the floating trophy.
An Audio-Visual with all the images submitted is available on Youtube for viewing or members can contact me for the original AV. The Youtube AV for viewing can be found here. (Click Here)
My grateful thanks to the judges, Diane Skinner (Canada), Adri van Oudheusden (South Africa), Don Martell (Canada), Hein Waschefort (South Africa) and Johan Kloppers (South Africa).
See you all in 2019 and visit the PSSA website for the 2019 closing date.
Regards, Antenie Carstens.
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