‘Leaping Girl’ puts Professor in line for award
Published On Mon 27 Jun 2016 by Grant Hill
Graeme Hutton, Professor of Architecture at the University of Dundee, is in the running for a national photography award celebrating the UK’s best museums.
Five museums and galleries have been shortlisted for the Museum of the Year prize awarded annually by the Art Fund organisation. Alongside the main award, Art Fund are running a competition to find the best photograph of the shortlisted entries.
Professor Hutton’s picture, ‘Leaping Girl’, was chosen by world-renowned photographer Rankin as the best submission showing off the Jupiter Artland attraction. Members of the public have until Wednesday, 29th June to vote for their favourite snap.
Jupiter Artland is a contemporary art park and gallery in West Lothian that showcases outdoor work by leading sculpture and land artists. Professor Hutton’s photograph is taken at an installation by Charles Jencks, the landscape designer, architectural critic and historian, and co-founder of the Maggie’s Cancer Care centres who this week received an Honorary Degree from the University.
Professor Hutton said, “I am delighted and little bit stunned to have had my photograph selected by Rankin for this award. I am especially pleased that the shot is of Charles Jencks' Jupiter Art Land as I have just given a Laureation for Charles at the graduation and the photograph was one of those that ran on the screen as I did my talk.
“Photography was my first love before architecture but I wasn't good enough to get in to university to study it. I'm interested in photographing how people relate to landscapes and Charles Jencks' Jupiter Artland is ideal for this".
The finalists in the Museum of the Year award are Arnolfini, Bethlem Museum of the Mind, Jupiter Artland, Victoria and Albert Museum and York Art Gallery.
The Art Fund Prize for Museum of the Year champions museums and galleries across the UK – annually awarding one outstanding winner £100,000. It champions the role of museums, encourages more people to visit, and attempts to get to the heart of what makes a truly outstanding museum. The photography competition celebrates images which capture these qualities.
Speaking about Professor Hutton’s image, Rankin said, “This Charles Jencks installation – the Cells of Life – is the perfect backdrop for a gentle but alive photo, full of life and human interaction. The ability to interact and breathe your own existence into a museum is a valuable thing. These are ever-evolving beasts and we should be able to play our part in that.'
Professor Hutton photograph can be seen and voted for at http://bit.ly/1UNp0pP.
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