£20k prize for Sussex Artist? – Thomas Allen in “final shortlist” for Threadneedle Prize
The Net, by Thomas Allen 2014
28 August 2014. Sussex-based artist, Thomas Allen has been shortlisted for the Threadneedle Prize, which carries a prize of £20,000 plus his own solo exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London.
With over 3,600 entries from across Europe, the Threadneedle Prize provides a survey of figurative art. From these entries, 64 works were chosen for exhibition the the Mall Galleries. The judges have selected a final shortlist of 6 artists. The final prize winner will be announced on 23rdSeptember.
Allen’s selected piece, entitled The Net, is a large-scale charcoal and sanguine drawing, measuring 240x150cm, which will be on display at the Mall Galleries from 25 September until 11 October.
This is Allen’s fourth accolade in the past 18 months. Last year, he won the Anthony J Lester Art Critic Award in the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours Exhibition, followed by the SEAWARD Prize in the National Open Art Competition. In this year’s RI Watercolour Exhibition, one of Allen’s paintings earned him The Arts Club Charitable Trust Award. With his latest success in the Threadneedle Prize, Allen is gaining recognition for his most recent line of work, which he dubs ‘Contemporary Cave Painting’.
The concept involves turning a gallery space into a ‘Contemporary Cave’ by darkening it and then covering the walls with imagery. He takes inspiration from the surrounding neighbourhood as well as automatic drawings (or scribbles) solicited from the public. The finished piece stands as a reflection of the collective unconscious of that locality.
This year’s astute panel of judges comprised of The Times’ Arts Commissioning Editor and Art Critic, Nancy Durrant; Internationally acclaimed sculptor, Kevin Francis Gray; Independent Advisor and Curator of the Hiscox Collection, Whitney Hintz; and Gallerist and Founder of Art Dubai, John Martin.
More details of Thomas Allen’s work can be found at: www.thomasallen.uk.com
For further information about the exhibition, please visit: www.threadneedleprize.com
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