An energetic scene in Footscray Market won the $3000 first place in the Picturing Footscray Prize, a competition created to capture the suburb’s many vibrant personalities and places.
Thursday 24 August 2017
An energetic scene in Footscray Market won the $3000 first place in the Picturing Footscray Prize, a competition created to capture the suburb’s many vibrant personalities and places.
Winning photographer Christian Lukasik said he knew he had something special before he snapped his untitled photo, depicting shoppers from many cultures and generations, taken from the viewpoint of a market stall holder.
An emerging photographer, Christian said the award recognised he was heading in the right direction.
Judge and ABC photojournalist Margaret Burin said although photography-judging was subjective, the winning works contained a story, composition and impact.
Roaming, Confident and Tall as the Sun by John Umina collected the $2000 second place, and You are My Sunshine by Julia Wong won $500 for third. Holiday in the West by Mikaela Foster was highly commended.
The Picturing Footscray Prize, now in its second year, attracted more than 300 entries — many VU students and alumni — as well as local residents and those from other parts of Melbourne’s west. It was established in 2016 as part of the BluScray VU Centenary celebrations.
VU Footscray University Town manager Kerry O’Neill said she was overwhelmed with the quality and level of engagement displayed in this year’s competition.
“If you knew nothing about Footscray, or VU and the west of Melbourne, you would only need to spend five minutes at the exhibition to know everything you need to know, and what a fabulously diverse place it is,” she said.
All entries are currently on exhibit at VU at MetroWest (138 Nicholson Street, Footscray).
Voting for the $500 People’s Choice Award is open until September 15.
