ING Discerning Eye 2008 - deadline 6th September

Each Autumn the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition at the Mall Galleries displays small works which are independently selected by six prominent figures from different areas of the art world: two artist, two collectors and two critics. The selectors this year are:

• Collectors:
  
• Robert (Bob) Benton investment banker and the Discerning Eye Chairman from 2003 – 2007
  
• journalist and television broadcaster Jon Snow
• Critics:
• Frances Carey - author, former Deputy Keeper of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum and currently Head of National Programmes at the British Museum, and
• award winning journalist and Editor of The Sunday Times Magazine, Robin Morgan
• Artists:
  
• painter and Royal Academician Fred Cuming RA (whose work I love); and
  
• fellow and past president of the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers Anita Klein PPRE

Visual language (at 2007 exhibition)
8" x 11", pencil and coloured pencil
in sketchbook
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

One of the reasons for the exhibition's success is the size of the small works

• two dimensional works have to be a maximum size of 20" x 20" - including frame
• 3D works must be 20" x 20" x 20" - including their plinth or stand
  

Work is selected from open submission and each selector's work is then hung separately to give each display its own distinctive identity. It creates the sense of six small exhibitions in one space - or in the case of the Mall Galleries - in the three gallery spaces.

The competition attracts a wide range of entries each year and provides an unusual opportunity for works by lesser-known artists to be hung alongside contributions from internationally-recognised names.

The ING Discerning Eye Exhibition runs from 13–23 November 2008 at the Mall Galleries, The Mall, London SW1Y 5BD, 10am – 5pm daily. Admission free.

Prizes

There are a range of prizes (detailed in the Notice to Artists - see below) and virtually all are Purchase Prizes. The top prize is the ING Purchase Prize being £5,000. There is also be a new prize in 2008 - the Discerning Eye Founder's Purchase Prize (in honour of the late Michael Reynolds, the founder of the ING Discerning Eye) of £1,500.

How to enter

Last year 54% of the entries were from the open submission artists and a total of 141 works were sold of which 67% came from open submission artists.

Painting, prints, drawing, photography and sculpture are accepted and up to six works can be submitted. All works must be for sale and must also comply with size limits (see above). The deadline for entries is works must be submitted to the Federation of British Artists in London on the 5 and 6 September 2008. There are also opportunities to submit work through regional collection points - but these have earlier deadlines.

If you want to enter you can get full details including submission rules and fees & dates for the 2008 competition from the Parker Harris website where you can download

• the entry form - which must accompany all entries
• the Notice to Artists - which sets out the rules and gives details of the regional collection points (starting in Aberdeen next Saturday) and
  
• the labels for work

You can also read more about last year's exhibition and prize-winning entries in my blog post last November ING Discerning Eye at the Mall Galleries.

About ING and Visual Art

ING sponsors the competition and exhibition. It's a pleasure to be able to highlight a company with such a significant commitment to visual art and in particular British art. ING has art collections in a number of different countries. Its City of London offices are home to a significant art collection featuring work by British artists such as LS Lowry, Sir Stanley Spencer and Samuel Palmer.

Links:

• Making A Mark - ING Discerning Eye at the Mall Galleries (24 November 2007)
  
• Discerning Eye 2007 and List of artists accepted for 2007
  
• ING - Group Collection
  
• ING - UK Art Collection
• Mall Galleries