Elaine Butler’s hyper-realistic image of a child being morphed into a computer was the stand out for visitors to this year’s Lithgow Contemporary Art Prize (LCAP).
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For the first time this year, visitors to the arts prize, which was awarded on July 7, were asked to nominate their favourite work. Elaine’s ‘Taken’ was a standout.
The award was supported by Family First Credit Union Lithgow.
The Wallerawang artist said the work reflected the experience of today’s children.
“In today's world, everyone is so caught up in technology, children are handed a device very early and they have developed an extreme attachment to iPhones and iPads,” she said.
“They are not viewing the world as it is, but through a screen and that’s creating a kind of impersonal world.”
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LCAP coordinator Anna Carter said she was very happy with the response of people viewing the works. She said much of the response to Elaine’s work centred on its message about technology and its place in society, which obviously spoke strongly to people.
“Everyone’s choice is different to the judges', so this gives a voice to people and gets discussion happening around the works,” she said.
Gang Gang Gallery owner Sharon Howard said she noticed the People’s Choice element encouraged visitors to spend a lot more time looking closely at the works.
Elaine, who has relocated to Wallerawang from Sydney, hopes to host children’s art classes in the Lithgow region in the future.