Liverpool Art Prize 2013: Julieann O’Malley
This Thursday sees the opening night of the Liverpool Art Prize 2013. We talk to one of those shortlisted, Julieann O’Malley …
With her work encompassing live durational performance installations, video work, sound and photography, Julieann O’Malley has perhaps best been recognised recently for her visceral Salty Milk performance, shown recently at ‘Poolside Emergency, the Bluecoat (see our review here), and last year as part of Liverpool Art Month, Wolstenholme Creative Space.
Hi Julieann! What does the Liverpool Art Prize represent to you?
The Liverpool Art Prize represents an opportunity for me as an artist based in Liverpool to show the work that I do. I think it’s really important to recognize and promote what local artists are doing, and I feel that the Liverpool Art Prize highlights this.
Artists are shortlisted for “a piece of work or project they have realised in the previous year” and “the general contribution or impact they have made on the Liverpool art scene.” Does this make you consider your practice in a different light?
Yeh, I suppose I did in a sense, as my practice is live durational performances. I had to consider the length of the art prize and what kind of work would be best for the duration, so that I actually did have something to present to an audience on a daily basis.
For the first time ever, the LAP Exhibition will be housed in the Grand Hall (Albert Dock) – which this year celebrates the 25th anniversary of its official reopening. What was the space like to use? Did it ignite any new ideas in terms of presenting your work?
We’ve actually built a purpose built space within, which will house my work. The piece that I will show is called Open Heart Surgery. The piece has been seen once before in Liverpool but only to a very small audience. I felt that it was fitting for the space and deserved to be seen by a wider audience.
Tough but obvious question: is there any competition between the four artists?
The Liverpool Art Prize this year is a tough one, I feel that all of us do such different but exciting work, lets just say it’s going to be interesting.
Have you prepared a winner’s speech?
Lol… No, I don’t feel that would be appropriate.
What other exhibitions/events are you involved with at the moment, current or upcoming?
A photography exhibition called T/HERE that opens on the 3rd May at Camp and Furnace. Other things are in the pipeline but unfortunately I can’t confirm them yet, so you’ll just have to watch this space.
See Julieann’s work on Vimeo and on Flickr
Liverpool Art Prize opens Thursday 25th April 6-9pm, the Grand Hall, Albert Dock
