LAST CHANCE TO SEE JOHN MOORES

UK’s biggest painting prize closes 30 November

It’s the last chance to see 69,104 miniature human figures crammed onto one canvas; a visual depiction of the moves made in a game of chess played by the Dada artist Duchamp; an elderly woman engulfed by a transcendental white light from a chest freezer, and the eerie corpse of a young deer languishing on a dining table.

These are just four of the 50 stunning paintings on display in the John Moores Painting Prize at the Walker Art Gallery until 30 November 2014.

More than 50,000 visitors have been to see the eclectic exhibition, which draws together the very best of British painting. From breath-taking photorealism, stunning portraiture, landscape and figurative work or intriguing abstract paintings, the Prize consistently represents the most current trends and concerns of contemporary painting.

This year the £25,000 first prize, sponsored by David M Robinson went to Rose Wylie for her arresting PV Windows and Floorboards. A divisive choice, at odds with the Visitors’ Choice, sponsored by Rathbones, which attracted around 10,000 votes and was won by Juliette Losq for her towering painting, Vinculum.

Sandra Penketh said: “We’re not surprised by the success of the exhibition which includes emerging names as well as some very established and accomplished artists. The John Moores has a proud reputation of bringing the most exciting contemporary painting to the Walker and 2014’s exhibition has been no exception.”

There is a 25% discount on the accompanying exhibition catalogue for the last two weeks of the show. It is available online or in the Walker shop at £7.50.

John Moores Painting Prize facts:

• The John Moores Painting Prize is the UK's biggest painting prize. The competition is entered and judged anonymously and open to all UK-based artists working with paint. In 2014 there were 2,500 entries.
• The winner of the John Moores Painting Prize 2014, sponsored by David M Robinson was Rose Wylie. The four prize winners were Rae Hicks, Juliette Losq, Mandy Payne and Alessandro Raho.
• The 2014 judges were Tim Marlow, Director of Artistic Programmes at the Royal Academy and artists Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Zeng Fanzhi, Chantal Joffe and Tom Benson.
• Sir Peter Blake, winner of the junior award in 1961, became the first patron of the Prize in 2011.
• The John Moores Painting Prize is organised in partnership with the John Moores Liverpool Exhibition Trust.
• The John Moores Painting Prize is part of Liverpool Biennial, one of the UK’s largest and most exciting contemporary visual arts events. The 8th Liverpool Biennial International Festival of Contemporary Art ended on Sunday 26 October 2014.
• The five prize winners from the John Moores Painting Prize China 2014 are also on display.

The John Moores Painting Prize is part of National Museums Liverpool's Modern Masters series, part funded by the European Union - the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

It is also supported by our exhibition partner Weightmans and sponsor Investec.

For a full list of exhibiting artists:www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/johnmoores

Twitter: @johnmoores2014 #jm2014

Facebook: www.facebook.com/johnmoorespaintingprize

ERDF in the Northwest

ERDF is making a real difference to people and businesses in the North West. The current programme, which is worth €755 million, is enhancing the competitiveness of the region’s economy by supporting growth in enterprise and employment.

ERDF in the North West is managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government – for further information visit https://www.gov.uk/erdf-programmes-progress-and-achievements

About National Museums Liverpool

National Museums Liverpool comprises eight venues. Our collections are among the most important and varied in Europe and contain everything from Impressionist paintings and rare beetles to a lifejacket from the Titanic.                                                          

We attract more than 2.7 million visitors every year. Our venues are the International Slavery Museum, Lady Lever Art Gallery, Merseyside Maritime Museum, Museum of Liverpool, Sudley House, Border Force National Museum (Seized! The Border and Customs Uncovered), Walker Art Gallery and World Museum. 

One of the finest art galleries in Europe, the Walker Art Gallery is home to renaissance masterpieces, Tudor portraits and one of the best collections of Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite art in the country. An outstanding display of contemporary art includes work by David Hockney, Lucian Freud and Bridget Riley.

Walker Art Gallery William Brown Street, Liverpool     Admission FREE
Open 10am-5pm every day                                           Information 0151 478 4199

Website liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker

Twitter www.twitter.com/walkergallery

Facebook www.facebook.com/walkerartgallery

Tags: