Blue Mountains Artist Takes out this Year's $20,000 Scenic World Acquisitive Award

Blue Mountains artist, Daniel Kojta, has been awarded the $20,000 Scenic World Acquisitive prize for his highly polished stainless steel sculpture, Reflect Phi [a momen].

Kojta's work is one of 35 artworks from as far as America and Ireland, on exhibition for selection along the rainforest floor at Scenic World.

The award was presented by Scenic World's Joint Managing Directors, Anthea and David Hammon, on behalf of the Hammon Family Council, during the official exhibition opening last night.

The winning artwork consists of three independent but related sculptures translated through the mathematical Phi formula of Australian natives.

Kojta said: "it was an incredible opportunity to receive the award at an exhibition that is growing and supporting professional contemporary arts in the Blue Mountains".

Judges for the 2013 exhibition are: artist and Environmental Research Initiative for Art (COFA) Director Allan Giddy, Dinosaur Designs Creative Director, Louise Olsen, and Associate Professor in Art History and Theory at the College of Fine Arts (COFA), Dr Alan Krell.

The judges said the winning sculpture was a unique response to site that reflected both a modernist and contemporary aesthetic sensibility.

"What appealed to us about Kojta's work was its beguiling ability to reflect subtly the immediate environment and successfully create a dialogue between the geometric and the organic," they said

Highly commended sculptures are;

• Last year's winner from Woollongong, Greer Taylor's resting place - "a delicately knitted wire structure that belies its materiality and seemingly floats in the rainforest";
• Nigel Harrison's Bypass - "an enigmatic work that references and challenges the rainforest through its evocation of 'energy' both literally and figuratively; and
• Ireland's Darragh O'Calloghan's "copper pipe configuration, Serosa, that resonates wonderfully with the calligraphic qualities of the rainforest."

Exhibition Manager, Lizzy Marshall, said Sculpture at Scenic World had again pushed the boundaries of onsite responsive art.

"All of our exhibiting artists have magnificently created within the context of an environment that is adherent to the complexities of sculpture and its mass, tension, formalist ideals and narrative objectives," she said.

Australia's only dedicated rainforest sculpture exhibition includes the indoor Sculpture Otherwise exhibition, and Public Programmes featuring guided and independent tours, free evening lectures, and family and children's activities.

Sculpture at Scenic World 2013, offers a $20,000 Acquisitive Award, the new $5000 Artist Peer Award, a $2000 Scenic World Staff Choice Awardand The Carrington Hotel's $1000 People's Choice Award.

Scenic World has also releaseda series of special overnight exhibition packages, starting at $207.50 for couples and $299 for families, at a collection of iconic Blue Mountains hotels and resorts.

Sculpture at Scenic World is open until 19 May 2013.

For more information about Daniel Kojta, visit www.onaircontemporary.com