YOUNG photographer Max Carter, 11, did not expect to clean up four photography prizes at the recent Lions Club Lake Boga art exhibition.
The youngster took home the senior photography first and second prizes, as well as the junior photography first and second prizes.
“Honestly I didn’t expect to win,” he told The Guardian.
“I just expected to go, see some good art and come home.”
Max was among close to 50 artists and photographers to respond to the theme ‘the Mallee through my eyes’ and he did it, highlighting the quintessentially-Mallee Sea Lake and Patchewollock silos.
With the assistance of his father Michael chauffeuring, the young photographer took a staggering “three thousand, two hundred and something” photos.
Talent with a camera runs in the family with Michael having previously worked as a wedding portrait photographer and teaching his young son the trade.
“We wanted him to be able to use a real camera,” Michael said.
“Phones are great but you have a lot more control of lighting and other features on a proper camera.”
Max’s camera of choice is a Canon EOS SLR and he honed his skills taking photos of the Lake Boga park run, which his mother Melissa organises.
He then created collages of up to 800 photos in a work from his trips and generously decided to have his work auctioned off with $1000, including the auction profit and some prize money, donated back to the Lions Club.
He loved seeing what all the other artists and photographers submitted to the competition but said he was particularly taken by Tobie Cameron’s towering piece as well as Jamie Buteux’s haunting photography of fog over the water.
Organiser Robyn Howarth could not wait to see what artists produced for this weekend’s art competition in response to the theme ‘the Mallee through my eyes’.
“It’s through my eyes, so no one is wrong,” Ms Howarth said.
“It’s just what you envisage, what the Mallee means for you.”
Ms Howarth explained prior to the show, as the artworks were delivered to the gallery, that she expected to see the themes of a “harsh landscape but a warm welcome”.
“You come up this way because it’s got such good people in it,” she said.
The exhibition, Ms Howarth’s “baby”, began to give local artists a forum where they could show their art.
Art judge and Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery said events like this “don’t just happen” and praised the gargantuan effort of Ms Howarth and her team.
“Art prizes are great things – they’re significant for artists helping them to kickstart their careers and give them an impetus to create art,” Mr Tully said.
“They promote the arts and support artists, and obviously there are winners.
“But you are all winners tonight because you get to continue making art which is the best thing.”
Mr Tully awarded first place to Noel Codling for his charming piece Pedigree.
The graphic work was painted on a 1960s vintage cupboard door in an original and quirky homage to a country home.
Paula Starrs took home second prize for Manangatang silos that depicted the iconic sites dotting local highways in a bold painting.
Jocelyn Ingram won third prize for Mallee Dust Storm which beautifully captured a quintessential country town street during the weather event – with Mr Tully noting the “muted” and beautifully handled work.
Shirley Drayton won first prize for open art in the other medium category with a stunning embroidered landscape entitled Daytrap.
There were two highly commended works – one by Don Brown for his pen and ink wash drawing of a row of farm silos and dead trees, and the other by Tobie Cameron entitled My Land.
Mr Cameron, once again, received the people’s choice prize for a work that Mr Tully said literally “tackled the size of the Mallee”.
“It’s impressive in scale and you feel you can enter the landscape,” Mr Tully said.
Mr Cameron said his piece is a vision of how he sees the land he has walked on for the past 24 years.
“Born in Darwin where the landscape is very different, here I have soft Mallee soil and healthy growing crops of wheat,” Mr Cameron said.
“Beautiful lakes, rivers and channels flowing across the land.”
Greg Cruikshank judged the photography competition which saw young Max Carter clean up multiple prizes.
Ella Hartington was also highly commended for her stunning pictures including one of her pet lizard, Spike.
Ms Howarth said this fantastic display of talent would not have been possible without the generous support of the Swan Hill Rural City Council who supplied a $2000 grant for the event and the work of many volunteers including Don Whitney who advised the hanging, Melissa Carter who assisted with promotion and filming the 3D exhibition that will now be visible through the Lake Boga Lions Club Facebook page and Michael Carter for his assistance hanging the photography. She also praised the generosity of a number of local businesses who donated prizes and sponsorship.
“Local businesses have just come up to us offering sponsorship, which has been amazingly generous.
“So we didn’t charge the artists entry because we really want to give local artists the opportunity to showcase their work in the hope that maybe names get a little bit more well known and they get sales from their work.”
Generous prizes included a Harvey Norman barbecue, vouchers and canvases from Ornamental Glass Picture Framers, Bunnings and Dandy Lion vouchers.
Andrew Peace also donated the wine for the opening at the Flying Boat Museum with Reg and the Catalina Classic Band on hand to entertain attendees.
