Article: Silk Cut

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The Silk Cut Award for linocut prints is a national award for Australian printmakers. The Award, in its eleventh year has two categories, the open section open to professional artists and the Student category open to schools across Australia. The awards are sponsored by linoleum wholesaler Duroloid with support from manufacturer Forbo Nairn.

Winners of the award and other artists purchased in the biannual awards are subsequently donated to the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. The Silk Cut Foundation has so far donated 46 linocut works from the best Australian printmakers.

Judges in 2006 were artist Heather Shimmen, curator Caroline Field and tddc's own David O'Halloran. The judges chose Rona Green as this years Grand Prize winner with a strikingly individual yet simple work.

Writer: David O'Halloran

David O'Halloran

David O'Halloran is an Australian visual art curator of 25 years experience working with some of the country's most important visual arts organisations including the Biennale of Sydney, the Contemporary Art Centre of South Australia, Contemporary Art Services Tasmania, and the Adelaide Festival. For the Glen Eira City Council Gallery he has curated important exhibitions that surveyed the work of significant Australian artists, including Elizabeth Gower, John Dunkley-Smith, Jon Campbell, Jan Murray, Stieg Persson and Victor Mazjner. David O'Halloran fondly remembers a maxim drummed into students at art school - "you can be so open minded your brains fall out".