The Age
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Mixed Media by Megan Backhouse

A win on paper

GARETH Sansom won the National Works on Paper Award last weekend for a 12-sheet picture encompassing, as is lIis wont, all manner of media (watercolour, pencil, paint, biro, collage, the list goes on).

Despite having acted as a judge in previous instahnents of the award, Sansom maintained win· ning the 2006 prize was a "total shock, but very nice ... I was so unprepared, I wasn't even standing in the room when the prize was announced."

This once-annual award exhibition, held at the Momington Peninsula Regional Gallery, takes a new folmat this year with specific artists being invited to participate rather than an open call for applications. It has become a biennial event with the acquisitive prize pool more than doubling to $45,000.

The 2006 prize money also saw the work of Tasmanian photographer Pat Brassington and Tasmanian printmaker Michael Schlitz pl.lTchased for the MPRG's contemporary works on paper collection.

In all, 46 artists from around Australia, who variously incorporate paper in their work, are represented this year, with their works remaining on show at the gallery (Civic Reserve, Dunns Road, Momington, phone 5975 4395) until July 16.