Variety in No 8 wire art pleases

Five Waikato artists are among 17 finalists selected for the Fieldays No 8 Wire National Art Award 2012.

This year’s judge, corrugated iron sculpture artist Jeff Thomson, said finalists met the creative challenge with more than a dash of Kiwi ingenuity.

‘‘It was great to see the variety in terms of how the wire was used to create innovative and imaginative sculptures that will hopefully surprise and at times mystify the viewer,’’ he said.

‘‘I’ve always been fascinated by what comes out when limiting oneself to one material and the work in this exhibition will not disappoint. It is a testament to the New Zealand No 8 wire mentality.’’

The Fieldays No .8 Wire National Art Award is sponsored by National Fieldays, supported by Waikato Museum. This year’s winners will be announced on June 7 at an awards ceremony before the exhibition opens to the public at Hamilton’s Artspost Galleries & Shop from June 8 to July 16.

The winner will receive $4000, second place $1500 and third place $1000. There is also a President’s Award and visitors to the exhibition can vote for the People’s Choice prize.

The art award, which has demonstrated the versatility of No 8 wire, taking it off the farm and into the art gallery, was founded by National Fieldays in 1987. This is the sixth year Waikato Museum and Artspost have co-ordinated and hosted the award.

The finalists include Rory Savage, of Hamilton, Rob Kear, of Raglan, Marti Wong, of Hamilton, Karaka Special Treatment Unit Art Group of Te Awamutu and Arthur Mahutariki, of Ngaruawahia.