28.11.19 for Immediate release Spectrum Art Prize 2020: finalists announced We are delighted to announce the finalists for 2nd Spectrum Art Prize, the critically acclaimed national award created to celebrate the outstanding work of artists on the autistic spectrum The finalists are Elise Broadway, Harry Moorcroft, Janice Hughes, Joseph Coyle and Shariff Persaud After receiving practical, curatorial and personal support an exhibition of their work will take place next year (date and venue TBA) and each finalist will receive an award of £5,000 The finalists were chosen from open-submission by an expert panel including curator, Sacha Craddock, Spectrum CEO, Mary Simpson, Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, artists, Paul Noble and Chantal Joffe and previous Spectrum finalist, Dawne McGeachy The judges were impressed by the sheer quality of work presented by the finalists which included a fantastic range of approach by all five; spanning print, painting, sculpture, performance and moving image, including animation Mary and Sacha have visited all the finalists in order to gain a greater insight to the work and creative process of each artist, as well as the practical and curatorial support Spectrum might provide in order to help them realise their ambitions as artists Mary Simpson, CEO of Spectrum said: ‘We were delighted by the sustained quality of the more than 100 submissions we received this year and whilst it was a difficult task to whittle these down, we were unanimous with our chosen five The Prize is an opportunity to exhibit work by these remarkable artists as well as to articulate some of the primary conditions associated with the condition - the finalists exemplify the artistic excellence and creativity for which this award was created, and we are delighted to bring them to public attention” Curator, Sacha Craddock said; 'The five finalists have presented us with a fantastic range of work From anecdotal to abstract, obsessive to other worldly; the Spectrum Art Award is starting to inhabit an essential artistic place.' The Spectrum Art Award holds a unique position as a platform for excellent art by artists who are unapologetic about their place in the world and who provide a unique and distinct visual language About the finalists: Elise Broadway (1993) London Graduated 2019, Royal College of Art Elise creates free-standing and wall-mounted sculptural works using stuffed and drawn or painted fabrics, often using stock images of people and animals found on the internet The result is a startling mixture of the sophisticated and ungainly, with the apparently mundane transformed into something special and memorable Joseph Coyle (1992) Wellington, Shropshire Postgraduate, Aberystwyth University Joseph creates detailed, small scale paintings inspired by nature and British folklore, most notably demonstrated in his series based on the story of Cock Robin His work explores mythmaking and storytelling with a relationship for detail that is now extraordinary expanded into performance Janice Hughes (1994) Belfast Graduated 2017, Glasgow School of Art Janice works in a variety of medium including painting, collage and film inspired in part by her understanding of nature, her films incorporate animation, often with single frame footage taken from family videos, ‘collaged’ with seed heads, leaves and dried flowers Harry Moorcroft (1999) Taunton, Somerset Studied, Bridgwater & Taunton College Harry makes films and animations which demonstrate a sophisticated eye for characterisation, coupled with deadpan humour Frequently self-narrated, his subject matter is often drawn from personal experience, including bringing vividly to life the difficulties he experienced as an autistic child coping with school Sharif Persaud (1994) Hastings Currently attends Project Art Works Sharif makes films, drawings, paintings and mono-prints which explore his unique way of navigating the world, including his frequent use of a cardboard Al Murray mask in public and a very developed interest in bodily functions His work is by turns funny, arresting and fresh and a wonderful demonstration of how art can unlock communication and provide a voice There has never been a more important or appropriate time for a prize like the Spectrum Art Award The award has already given a national platform and critical support to many remarkable artists, including the inaugural prize winner, Charlotte Amelia Poe Charlotte has gone on this year to publish her first book, ‘How to Be Autistic’ with the support of Spectrum For Charlotte, the experience of winning the has been transformative, in that it has allowed her to challenge directly preconceptions and prejudices of what it is to be autistic Charlotte commented, ‘If I can change just one person’s perceptions, if I can help one person with autism feel like they’re less alone, then this will all be worth it So please, turn the page Our worlds are about to collide.’ NOTES TO EDITORS ABOUT SPECTRUM: Spectrum is the South West’s leading charity for autism services It provides residential care for both adults and children, education and domiciliary care services for people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders Autism is a lifelong condition that affects how a person relates to other people and the world around them; while all people with autism share certain difficulties, their condition will affect them in different ways The Spectrum Art Prize has evolved from the charity's long association with the arts and has been conceived as a platform for artists with autism to have their work exhibited at the same level as any other artist, without barriers or prejudices The inaugural Spectrum Art Prize culminated with a critically acclaimed exhibition at The Saatchi Gallery, London in the Spring of 2018, generating international interest and press coverage including national television The Spectrum Award - Judges Sacha Craddock Returning to the Spectrum Art Award as Lead Judge and Curator, Sacha Craddock is an independent curator and critic, who has written for numerous national newspapers including the Guardian and The Times She co-founded ArtSchool Palestine which offers a structure and place for the exchange and development of contemporary art, as well as founding the Fellowship in Contemporary Art at British School at Rome She currently chairs the Bloomberg New Contemporaries, which provides a means for newly graduated fine art students to be exhibited nationwide and has been involved in the selection process since 1996 Mary Simpson Mary Simpson is the CEO of Spectrum and has worked in the field of autism for over 25 years Mary has extensive knowledge of all current economic, social and regulatory issues in the care sector and autism Mary has extensive links within the art world, through Spectrum’s affinity with artistic expression Mary has been instrumental in the development of local and national art auctions to both raise awareness of autism and fundraise for a dedicated Education and Arts Centre in Cornwall Mary firmly believes that art can create a powerful and meaningful dialogue to those who feel socially isolated, lonely or different from those around them Mary is passionate about giving individuals with autism the platform and opportunity to show others their unique world view as well as their interests, hopes and perceptions of life Professor Simon Baron-Cohen Professor Simon Baron-Cohen is one of the world's leading experts in understanding autism and related neurological conditions His books include 'Mindblindness', which in 1995 transformed our understanding of the psychology of autism, through to ‘Zero Degrees of Empathy’ (2011), which gave a new perspective on biological and social factors that determine cruelty and kindness Professor BaronCohen is the Director of the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge and President of the International Society of Autism Research Dawnne McGeachy As one of our finalists for the inaugural Spectrum Art Prize in 2018, McGeachy brought a unique perspective to her role as judge for the 2nd Art Award Dawne trained at the Glasgow School of Art and has received awards including a scholarship to study Fine Art at the University of Ohio, US and in 2013, the Jolomo Bank of Scotland prize for landscape painting A fascination with the sea, led her to study the science of waves, relaying the forces that create waves through mathematical equations; using the Beaufort Wind Force Scale to create precise paintings that convey the power and brutality of the waves Paul Noble Noble’s work has been part of numerous group exhibitions, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (2005), Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (2009), Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Netherlands (2010); Tate Britain, London (2010); Kunsthalle Münster, Germany (2010–11), Henry Moore Foundation, Perry Green, England (2014); and Marta Herford, Germany (2015) Recent solo museum exhibitions include the Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Zurich (2005); Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Netherlands (2005); and Nobson, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Netherlands (2014) Noble lives and works in London Chantal Joffe Born in 1969, Chantal Joffe lives and works in London She holds an MA from the Royal College of Art and was awarded the Royal Academy Wollaston Prize in 2006 Her recent solo exhibition titled Personal Feeling is the Main Thing at the The Lowry, Salford [2018] presented works from across Joffe's career addressing themes of portraiture, motherhood, passing time and art's relationship to history Joffe has exhibited nationally and internationally with venues including Whitechapel Gallery, London [2018]; Royal Academy of Arts, London [2018, 2017]; National Museum of Iceland, Reykjavík (2016); National Portrait Gallery, London (2015); Jewish Museum, New York (2015); Jerwood Gallery, Hastings (2015); Collezione Maramotti, Reggio Emilia, Italy (2014 – 2015); Saatchi Gallery, London (2013 – 2014); MODEM, Hungary (2012); Mackintosh Museum, Glasgow (2012); Turner Contemporary, Margate (2011); Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase, New York (2009); University of the Arts, London (2007); MIMA Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (2007); Galleri KB, Oslo (2005) and Bloomberg Space, London (2004) FOR PRESS ENQUIRIES: Celia Bailey | bailey_celia@hotmail.com +44 (0) 7930 442 411 / +44 0208 239 9482