The 34th annual Fremantle Print Award and exhibition supported by Little Creatures Brewing presents a spectacular overview of contemporary Australian printmaking. In 2008, the Award winner challenged the preconceptions of printmaking. This year's selection of 36 works shows the range of traditional and contemporary printmaking methods that continue to invigorate the art form.

Of the more than 300 entries, a finely tuned selection of 36 works comprises the exhibition with the winners announced at the opening on Friday 25 September.

$12,000 Major Acquisitive Prize – Damiano Bertoli (VIC), Continuous Family

$6,000 Non-Acquisitive Prize – Peter Alwast (NSW), Clouds

Damiano Bertoli's winning entry is a series of artist’s books depicting the chronology of four members of the infamous Manson Family.

The immaculate and tactile surfaces, pristine bookbinding and embossing of each volume place emphasis on the seductive power of the limited edition book as an exquisite object. The work is a reflection of our own voyeurism, and highlights our fascination with the darker currents of the human psyche.

Winner of the non-Acquisitive Prize is Peter Alwast with his multi-media work Clouds. Providing a seamless synthesis of painting and printmaking, the synergy of different media suggests a duality between natural and man-made, interior and exterior.  

Together, this year’s winner and runner-up reflect the broad definitions of printmaking in today’s contemporary landscape and present a snapshot of what the art form’s finest practitioners are doing.

Public Program: EDUCATION KIT

Download the Fremantle Print Award 09 Education Kit, with specialised worksheets for Primary, Middle and Upper school students as well as a comprehensive info kit for teachers.

FPA09 Education Kit