A University of Guelph graduate has won a national art competition, taking home the top prize of $10,000 for a photographic print.
Samuel de Lange, who graduated this year with his BA in studio art, was selected by a jury of deans and instructors of arts programs from across the country for the top submission in the 12th annual BMO 1st Art! Invitational Student Art Competition. This year’s contest drew 272 entries from undergrad students from across the country, the most in the event’s history.
De Lange’s entry will be featured as part of the BMO Corporate Art Collection, which includes works by historical and contemporary Canadian masters such as Emily Carr, Marc-Aurèle Fortin, Wanda Koop and Ian Wallace.
The contest allows students to submit only one entry. De Lange wanted his submission, which he titled PVTREFACTIO IV (Black Sun), to sum up his entire practice.
“You need something that showcases your abilities, but can also stand alone; I thought this piece would facilitate a discussion amongst the jurors,” he said.
“It’s not a photograph in the traditional sense – it is a large scale monochromatic abstract print made using an expired stock of peel-apart Polaroid film. Because the film stock was so old, the negative continually developed. When scanned at a high resolution and enlarged, the images revealed minute traces of growth and decay that spoke to a not-so-distant photographic history.”
De Lange was uncertain how the jury would perceive his submission.
“I got a call while working in the photo lab in Zavitz Hall on campus and, after it, it seemed so surreal that I wasn’t sure the news was real. Luckily, I was working with a friend in the lab, and he verified the phone conversation did actually take place.”
He credits his professors with giving him the skills to succeed.
“Before arriving at U of Guelph I had a solid technical base in photography but little understanding of the conceptual development involved in creating compelling work; my professors helped me understand all that goes into this,” he said.
“Now, I’m comfortable taking a multidisciplinary approach to my practice and I understand what it means to exhibit photo-based artwork in a world that is increasingly saturated with images.”
Prof. Susan Dobson, School of Fine Art and Music, selected de Lange as one of three U of Guelph contest entries.
“Sam is a remarkable artist, a gifted researcher and a hard worker; he is deserving of the award and I am proud of his achievement. Over time he has found innovative ways to merge his interests in photographic theory, historic techniques and digital technology,” she said.
De Lange, who is now participating in a residency at YYZ Artists’ Outlet in Toronto, hopes to use the prize to build his career and showcase his work. He is considering using some of the money to buy equipment or to work and exhibit in Europe.
“I’m also starting to think about some graduate programs that might be a good fit for me,” he said.
“The piece that won is part of an ongoing series of about 20 images, and I’m hopeful the attention from winning will open up opportunities to exhibit more works from the series.”