Study event review: Contemporary Painting Prize

A small but dedicated group of painters spent a drizzly afternoon in Huddersfield looking at the latest instalment of the Contemporary British Painting Prize, before it moves on to Thames Side Studios in London.

Three works each by 17 artists of vastly different styles showcase the hugely expansive possibilities of painting as a medium. The show has everything from hard edged minimal abstraction, to soft focus photorealism, thick impasto, fluid veils and every conceivable paint application in between.

The discussion was wide and varied but touched upon scale, intention, audience and personal interpretation. We discussed the formidable task that the selectors and judges undertook when selecting the show and awarding the prizes, and the role of objective and subjective thought when considering and comparing paintings of such breadth of practice.

The chat also took in elements of the practical and professional, how some open submission competitions are more worthy than others and how as artists we should think carefully about where we show and the contexts we exhibit in.