Burst! wins Plymouth graduates £1,000 Jerwood Drawing Prize

Plymouth graduates James Eden and Olly Rooks have won one of only two Student Awards given by Jerwood Visual Arts.

The prize, worth £1,000, was given to the recent graduates in Fine Arts from Plymouth University for their collaboration, a video called Burst!

James and Olly have worked together for two years alongside their individual practices. Drawing in its broadest sense is the main focus of the work they create together, whether it is pen on paper, or video. In their work the materialization is prioritized over the outcome, but using video allowed them to explore both.

They were inspired to create Burst! by a preoccupation with using systems and interference in drawing processes. It consists of a five-minute film of a graphite balloon bursting.

James told ArtsCulture: “We were both excited when the drawing we entered, in the form of a video, was shortlisted for exhibition in the Jerwood Drawing Prize. The prize is highly respected and we were impressed by the quality of work on show. For our work to be recognized in this way is amazing. It shows that the ideas and expectations of drawing have expanded, pushing boundaries of what drawing can be.”

The Jerwood Drawing Prize is the country’s leading award in drawing, and is the largest and longest running annual open exhibition dedicated to drawing in the UK.

Fine Art course leader Andy Klunder said: “This is a prestigious award that serves to bring the names of emerging artists to the attention of the wider art world. Winning it reflects the consistently high level of commitment and achievement that both James and Olly have demonstrated throughout their time on the Fine Art course at Plymouth, as well as confirming their inventiveness and innate creativity. It is well deserved and as a lecturer I can genuinely say it has been a real pleasure to work with them both.”

(from a press release)