TRACEY EMIN AND SIR PETER BLAKE TO HEAD UP JURY FOR BRITAIN’S BIGGEST PAINTING COMPETITION
Call for entries to John Moores 24 exhibition of contemporary painting at the Walker Art Gallery

From 1 November 2005, artists can register for Britain’s biggest contemporary painting competition - the John Moores 24 exhibition of contemporary painting (16 September to 26 November 2006) With a jury featuring two of the biggest names in British art, next year’s exhibition looks set to be the most exciting show ever.

The often quirky and always unpredictable exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery - an integral part of Liverpool Biennial 2006 - is an open submission competition available to all UK-based artists working with paint.

Judges for the competition include conceptual artist Tracey Emin, artist Sir Peter Blake, former John Moores prizewinner Jason Brooks and curator of fine art at the Walker Art Gallery, Ann Bukantas. The fifth judge has yet to be announced

Sir Peter Blake was one of the leading figures in the development of British Pop art, incorporating imagery from modern culture into his work, including comic books, consumer goods and advertisements. Perhaps his most recognised work is the cover for The Beatles’s album, Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. He remains one of the most significant and influential painters in the UK.

Tracey Emin rose to fame with works such as My Bed (1998/99) and Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963-1995 (1994) that explore episodes in her life. Emin was last in Liverpool to unveil Roman Standard (2005) her first ever public sculpture in the grounds of the Anglican Cathedral in February 2005.

Jason Brooks was a prizewinner in John Moores 20 (1997) and was also included in John Moores 21 (1999), the same year in which he won the NatWest Art Prize. In 2004 he was selected to show in John Moores 23 where his painting ‘Cortina’ was purchased by the Walker for its collection.

In addition to an outright first prize of £25,000 there will be four prizes of £2,500 each. Initial judging will be by slides - one painting per artist with up to two slides of that painting. This will lead to a short-list of up to 500 works which will then be called in for judging and from which the final selection will be made. The £1000 ‘visitors’ choice’ prize, which proved very popular and provoked great debate during the 2004 exhibition, makes a welcome return.

Julian Treuherz, keeper of art galleries, says: ‘Despite predictions that painting is no longer the medium of choice for today’s cutting edge artists, the John Moores prize exhibition, generously supported by the Moores family, continues to demonstrate that painting is still one of the liveliest and most creative options open to today’s artists.’

The deadline for artists to register is 17 February 2006 - registration forms can be obtained through www.thewalker.org.uk/johnmoores24 or from the Walker Art Gallery. Slides must be sent in by 1 March 2006. Winners will be announced at the opening of the exhibition which runs from 16 September to 26 November 2006.

Entries have to be original new or recent paintings within a set size, designed to hang on walls, by someone who lives, or is based, in the United Kingdom. Full conditions are in the entry pack. Littlewoods founder Sir John Moores, a keen painter, started the exhibition in 1957.