Kyneton artist Tim Murphy has been named Hylton Mackley Artist of the Year for the Victorian Artists Society.
The $17,000 prize is awarded to the artist with the most accumulative votes across VAS seasonal select exhibitions and the Artist of the Year exhibition.
This award is unique as it is not awarded by a committee or judge, but by the peers of the winning artist and demands sustained performance over the exhibiting year.
Murphy told the Express his achievement was “still sinking in” but he was delighted to win the title that many of his “modern day heroes” had achieved.
“I’ve been in the final half a dozen times. I never expected to win it but hoped maybe I would receive a recognition. To be the winner is very surprising,” he said.
Many Macedon Ranges residents will be familiar with Murphy’s tonal realism works with influence from the Australian Tonal Meldrum School.
He has captured numerous local landscapes over the years and portraits. People have also enjoyed his unique still-lifes that feature instantly recognisable but unexpected objects from the not-to-distant past.
“The interest is in painting what I can see,” he said.
“I love painting landscapes and finding second-hand objects to paint. Kyneton Collective is a place I am haunting quite a lot because they have a lot of great pieces.”
Some of those vintage items featured in his unique still-lifes are electric fry pan, an ice crusher, an iconic Mistral fan from the 50s and a mix-master from the same period.
Murphy has strong ties to the Macedon Ranges. He grew up in the shire and moved back to the area about five years ago.
His great grandfather Thomas Fisher Levick was a popular Kyneton artist and his works can still be viewed around the town. Levick designed the Kyneton Botanic Gardens gates and painted murals at the Kyneton Masonic Lodge that are now heritage protected.
Murphy held his last exhibit at Kyneton in April. He is now working towards a collection for a VAS exhibition in April at East Melbourne. People can also view his work at his Kyneton studio.
