An animated film on the theme of overconsumption and a striking image from the West Bank have taken top honours at the 2012 Photography Competition organised by the School of Political Science and International Studies.
Lucia Schulz, an undergraduate student in Arts, said the idea for her film ‘Turn Around’ was based on a true story of friends who found a large amount of cash in the creek near their home.
“I considered the thought process one would go through upon being involved in such a situation: the initial excitement at all the ‘Things’ you could purchase,” Lucia said.
“But we ought to ask ourselves if we really know where our products come from, and what the consequences of fulfilling our ‘needs’ may be to other societies and species.”
Presenting the award, judge Dr Seb Kaempf said: “the strength of Lucia’s entry lies in its length - she’s conveying a strong political message about consumerism, environmental degradation, and the meaning of life in a mere 1.5 minutes.”
Ali Rae, a Master’s student in the School of Journalism and Communication, won the photography category with her entry ‘Uphill Battle’, and took home the first prize of a Canon camera donated by Norac Information and Technology Management.
The photograph, taken at the end of a protest in Bi’lin on the West Bank in Palestine, was described by judge Dr Nel Vandekerckhove as: “of such quality it could easily make it to the front page of a leading newspaper or magazine.”
“The visual language is provocative and yet subtle,” Dr Vandekerckhove said.
“It also gives us a glimpse of the artistic identity of the photographer.
“The presented work speaks volumes about the protests against the construction of the West Bank barrier in a small town called Bi’lin.”
Thanks to Artland Indooroopilly, the evening also featured a People’s Choice Award for the first time: Jeremy Ullman, with his image ‘Looking Back’, was voted favourite by the guests.
Entries for the 2013 awards will open in March.
To view the shortlisted entries in both categories, please visit the School’s webpage http://www.polsis.uq.edu.au/photography-competition
For further details Gillian Ievers: g.ievers@uq.edu.au
