Hailing originally from Boorowa and presently living just outside Binalong, Liz Corkhill-Knight is one of the finalists in the Open Division of the National Capital Art Prize.
Experts from across Australia’s art industry sought through a field of over 1,000 submissions.
Liz’s piece is titled “Transport to Unite”. She explained the origin and meaning of the title.
“I called it ‘Transport to Unite’, and I was very overtired at the time and wasn’t really too concerned I don’t usually title my work because I don’t really know what they are. They’re sort of haphazard feelings really.”
“The ‘Transport to Unite’ thing is more of a metaphysical analogy. I think particularly at the moment, as people can’t physically unite,” said Liz.
“The world over we transport to unite. Every action has a reaction that unites us in some way to something or someone. Connection is what we do. We are being transported either in a physical sense or spiritual sense or emotional sense constantly. This allows us freedom of space in time”.
When asked whether she regularly enters competitions, Liz said it’s a rarity. She explained that her art is more for herself than it is for anyone else.
“My work is really personal to me. My sister sent me this one (National Capital Art Prize) and I liked the diversity of it. So, I thought I’d put something in and I was very excited to be chosen.”
“The arts for me became a personal thing a few years ago when I got sick. I have been doing it more as therapy for me so not as community-based.”
“I would rarely do a commissioned piece because I find that I’m thinking more about what the person wants rather than what just flows through me, and that affects my work. I hit stumbling blocks with those sorts of pressures. In saying that, I am an artist by profession. I do sell my works and have participated in both joint and solo exhibitions”.
Liz’s art, and even her finalist piece is unplanned and unpredictable. It’s this lack of planning that she believes helps with the freeing feeling creating art provides her.
“I always have a blank canvas and never have any idea what I’m going to do.”
“I do very different work. I can do landscape one day and then the next do something crazy abstract. It’s a bit hard to know what’s going to come out, so I can’t really make any promises! ”
“It has become such a great thing for me that I ended up studying art therapy to work out why it helped me so much and to learn more about how art can heal people.”
“It definitely puts your mind at ease and helps to stop the overthinking, and ruminating, and the worrying that we all do, particularly in times like this,” she said.
It’s uncertain at present when the next stage of the competition will be able to go ahead. As well as the chance to win a share of the $45,000 prize pool, all finalists go into the running for the People’s Choice Award. The winner of this category will take home a cash prize of $2,500.
You can support Liz by voting for her work online at https://nationalcapitalartprize.com.au/peopleschoiceaward/. Voting will close on Thursday, the 30th of September.
You can see more of Liz’s work on Instagram @lizicorkhill
Max O’Driscoll
