Awards: Nordan Art Prize October 2011

I am pleased to announce that the Nordan Art Prize of the University of Australia (UWA) 3D Open Art Challenge October 2011 round was awarded to Rebeca Bashly for “The Suicide Forest Infested by Harpias.” Congratulations Rebeca! Below please find the Nordan Art rationale for this selection.

Rebeca Bashly’s work The Suicide Forest Infested by Harpias is part of larger work named Inferno, which in turn is based on the first part of Dante Alighieri’s Fourteenth-Century poem, the Divine Comedy. The suicide forest is part of the seventh circle (Violence). The Suicide Forest Infested by Harpias consists of trees and two figures. Textures, shapes and composition are outstanding. The trees are gray and barren; their trunks firmly positioned in the ground and branches stretching to the sides like spears. The figures are gray as well; rib cages pronounced, birdlike legs and feet, feminine frozen faces and large wings. Watching this scene, one is overcome by the dread and beauty of it. There is a sense of having become part of a movie or perhaps a painting. Rebeca’s work stands out to Nordan Art because she utilizes the highest level of craftmanship to express emotion and with it captures a sense of melancholy beauty, so rare.

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