2006 Clemenger Contemporary Art Award

In 1991 an extraordinary gift from Joan and Peter Clemenger enabled the National Gallery of Victoria to establish the Clemenger Contemporary Art Award, a triennial exhibition and award that celebrates the ongoing achievement of some of Australia’s most distinguished contemporary artists. The Clemenger Contemporary Art Award has a well-deserved reputation as on of the most prestigious and exciting visual arts events in Australia. Presented in 1993, 1996, 1999 and 2003, previous recipients of the Award are Bea Maddock (1993), Richard Larter (1996), John Nixon (1999) and John Mawurndjul (2003).

The 2006 Clemenger Contemporary Art Award is the fifth in the series and will draw together a group of established artists whose work is conceptually and stylistically diverse, yet unified in its engagement with some of the prevailing cultural and social issues of contemporary life. As the previous four exhibitions have demonstrated, the Clemenger Contemporary Art Award is national in its scope, cross-generational, and brings into dialogue the works of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian artists. The exhibition is accompanied by a multi-author, scholarly catalogue and a range of public and education programs.

Artists represented in the exhibition: Robert Baines, Janangoo Butcher Cherel, Anne Ferran, Ivan Namirrkki, Bronwyn Oliver, Jacky Redgate, Ken Thaiday, Imants Tillers, Hossein Valamanesh, Toni Warburton, Judy Watson, and Judith Wright. Judy Watson is the recipient of the 2006 Clemenger Contemporary Art Award.