A FROME artist, who was shortlisted for the sixth John Ruskin Prize, has been awarded The Alan Davidson Foundation Under 26 Prize.
Former Frome College student, Blythe Plenderleith, 25, was awarded the prize for her piece, Bed of Hails. Her winning work was originally created and showcased in Christ Church, Frome.
The John Ruskin Prize is a multi-disciplinary art prize in the UK, and this year’s theme was titled, ‘Seeing the Unseen, Hearing the Unspoken’.
Bed of Hails, which was showcased in Christ Church with the support of Revd Liz Dudley, consists of 777 cast plaster Marys.
Speaking about the award, Blythe said, “I feel very honoured to have won the Alan Davidson Foundation Under 26 Prize. The standard of all the work in the John Ruskin Prize is exceptional and extremely diverse, so to be an emerging artist and have my work exhibited alongside the other shortlisted artists is a privilege.
“Casting the 777 Marys took weeks and the installation process takes many hours. The challenges occurred in the original showcase of Bed of Hails in Christ Church, mainly balancing on the Marys for the durational performance.”
Blythe studied three art-based subjects for A-levels at Frome College before going straight into BA Hons Sculpture and Environmental Art at the Glasgow School of Art for four years. After graduating with a first, she was then awarded The Cass Art Scholarship; a full scholarship to study MA Sculpture at the Royal College of Art for two years.
Blythe added, “Bed of Hails is no longer showing at Christ Church, however from something that was exhibited with the support of the church, it has now been shown across the country and abroad.”
This year’s John Ruskin Prize attracted a record number of submissions from fine artists, makers and craftspeople from across the globe.
