Art News:
US
photographer Mitch Epstein wins the 2011 Prix Pictet photography prize
for
environmental sustainability
The Pictec Commission goes to the photographer Chris
Jordan
Thursday March 17th, 2011.-
Kofi
Annan, Honorary President of the Prix Pictet,
announced this evening, Thursday 17 March 2011, Mitch
Epstein as the winner of the third Prix Pictet photography prize for
environmental sustainability.
The prize is
sponsored by the Swiss bank, Pictet & Cie, with a value of
100,000 Swiss Francs (100,000 dollars, €80,000). The
announcement was made at the opening of an exhibition of the works
of the 12 shortlisted photographers at the Paris gallery,
Passage de Retz.
Jacques de Saussure,
Senior Partner of Pictet, awarded the 40,000 Swiss
Francs (40,000 dollars, €30,000) commission to the US
photographer Chris Jordan to undertake a field trip to Northern
Kenya where Pictet & Cie is currently supporting the work of the
environmental charity, the Tusk Trust.
The two photographers
were selected from a shortlist of twelve, namely Christian Als, Edward
Burtynsky, Stéphane Couturier, Mitch Epstein, Chris Jordan, Yeondoo Jung,Vera
Lutter, Nyaba Leon Ouedraogo, Taryn Simon, Thomas Struth, Guy Tillim and Michael
Wolf. Both Burtynsky and Jordan have previously been shortlisted for
the Prix Pictet.
The Prix Pictet has as
its mission a search for photographs that communicate powerful messages of
global environmental significance under a specific theme. For this third
Prix Pictet the theme is Growth. The winning artist, Mitch
Epstein, was nominated for his series, American Power.
In presenting the award
to Mitch Epstein, Kofi Annan said, “It is difficult to
look at this exhibition without being moved, even angered. And yet,
however bleak their message, the creativity and spirit of these artists also
gives us hope that we, the human race, have the capacity to find, to agree and
to realise the answers to these challenges. I want to congratulate each of the
photographers for the power and beauty of their work.”
Sir David
King, Chair of the Judges, then read out the Statement of the Jury:
“The Prix Pictet Jury were looking for photography that met three
criteria: artistic excellence; powerful
story-telling related to the theme of the award; and a coherent
series of images with narrative power. The Jury commented on the
remarkable quality of the submission of each of the twelve shortlisted artists
and on the presentation of their work at the Passage de Retz, Paris.
“After considerable
deliberation the Jury were unanimous in their decision to award the
prize to Mitch Epstein, whose work most clearly met each of the three
criteria. Epstein’s epic, beautifully realised photographs employ a
vantage point that is so perfect as to subtly disorientate you, while at the
same time delivering a message of great power.
“Edward
Burtynsky's consistently outstanding work deserves special mention.
This year his essay on the pervasiveness of oil is a potent reminder of our
dependence for "growth" on this finite and compromised
resource.”
In awarding the third
Prix Pictet Commission, Jacques de Saussure, Senior Partner of Pictet & Cie,
said, "On behalf of the Partners of Pictet, I am delighted to announce that we
have selected Chris Jordan as the photographer to fulfil the Pictet Commission
in 2011.”
With each Prix
Pictet award, Pictet supports the work of a charity whose work reflects the
theme of the prize. In 2011 Pictet is supporting the Nakuprat
Conservancy, a Kenyan community conservancy project of the UK-based charity, the
Tusk Trust. Tusk is responsible for the development of over forty
different programmes of conservation and sustainable community development in 17
African countries.
Chris Jordan will
visit Kenya with logistical support from Tusk. His mission is to draw
attention to the sustainability issues that face the local communities in the
Nakuprat Conservancy region, with particular reference to the theme of ‘Growth’.
The photographs produced for the Commission will be premiered at an exhibition
in London later in 2011.
Charlie Mayhew, CEO of
Tusk, said, “The Nakuprat Conservancy is an area riven by tension and
conflict between communities competing for livestock, pasture and water
– exemplifying the dilemmas of growth posed by the Prix Pictet theme. We are
delighted that Pictet & Cie have decided to support the work of
Tusk.”
Notes to Editors
1.
Exhibition and Tour
A selection of works from the portfolios of each
shortlisted artist are being shown in Paris at the Passage de Retz from 18
March to 16 April 2011. The Prix Pictet will continue showing in international
venues throughout 2011, including confirmed venues in Thessaloniki (Museum of Photography); Zurich (Galerie Christophe Guye, 26
May – 14 June), Milan (Galerie Carla Sozzani, 8 June – 31
July), London (Diemar/Noble, October), Dubai (Empty Quarter, October) and Madrid (Jardin Botanico, (October 2011 – January
2012). Further proposals from major international galleries are currently under
consideration.
2. Book
The prize is complemented by Growth, the book of the third prize.
Growth is published by teNeues and
includes the work of the 12 shortlisted artists and others nominated for the
third Prix Pictet.
3. Prix Pictet at the Arles Photography
Festival
Later this year the Prix Pictet will collaborate with Les Rencontres d’Arles in a major presentation in the Théâtre Antique, Arles,
during the opening week of the festival on Thursday 7
July.
High definition images:
ftp://storage.candlestar.co.uk
Username:
GrowthShortlist
Password: j2q9yEnav
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