His whole project is well conceived and shot, but the award was for this particular portrait. I am surprised. It is well executed, but I don't find it particularly compelling. The comments at the end suggest others would agree. You?
I was surprised too, Frank - but we go up to London to see this exhibiton every year and the winning portraits are very often fairly safe choices. Beautifully lit, technically perfect but not really that exciting or orginal. This is a lovely image and the project is extremely interesting but an international competition winner?
It looks like a boring school photo for a yearbook - I like the photo of Frances.
I find a similar thing happens with our Archibald Prize of painted portraits - often the one chosen elicits a "why?" response.
I'm going against the majority on this. I find it quite a compelling portrait. As a depiction of adolescence I think it's really quite accomplished. There's a tension running through the portrait between the child and the adult world. The costume itself - we dress up children in adult clothes (tie, blazer, replete with formal shield) which he wears awkwardly, a badge of childhood and an imitation of adulthood. The tension in his posture between retreat and self-assertion. His compelling gaze. I think this all captures the moment of transition - with all its stress, uncertainty, defiance and diffidence - between the child and the adult really rather well. I think it's deceptively simple. It's hard to capture that in a regular school photo even if, on a technical level, the photo-editing and lighting etc is quite straightforward.
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I find a similar thing happens with our Archibald Prize of painted portraits - often the one chosen elicits a "why?" response.