Andrew Torr gained Jackson’s Artwork Prize 2024 together with his oil portray Property. Now a Visitor Decide for 2025, he discusses reworking one thing unlovely into one thing lovely, not being afraid of rejection, and the way profitable Jackson’s Artwork Prize is like profitable the FA Cup.
Property, 2023
Andrew Torr
Oil on linen, 120 x 120 cm | 47.2 x 47.2 in
Interview with Andrew Torr
Josephine: Are you able to inform us slightly bit about your self and your inventive observe?
Andrew: My identify is Andrew Torr, I’m a painter and I gained Jackson’s Artwork Prize 2024. My profitable portray is an efficient indication of what it’s that I’m thinking about. I’m a figurative painter and I’m presently obsessive about housing estates, ones that you simply see dotted across the UK in the intervening time. They’re an attention-grabbing material as a result of they’re very often significantly unlovely and I’m making an attempt to make one thing lovely out of these issues, which is a good problem in a method. The method and the method that I now have has come about after lengthy durations of trialing and experimenting with the best way to current that material on canvas. What I’m searching for is that candy spot between the factor represented and the type of music that the paint makes on the canvas, the type of abstracted shapes.
Josephine: Are you able to inform us a couple of profession spotlight or any memorable moments as an artist?
Andrew: Surely, profitable Jackson’s Artwork Prize 2024 has been a spotlight of my profession to date. I had an excellent yr final yr, I used to be fortunate sufficient to be included within the RA Summer season Exhibition and had solo exhibits at No Hawkers Gallery in Brighton and Liminal Gallery in Margate. I additionally received accepted into the NEAC Annual Exhibition, so I’ve had a variety of highlights this yr however Jackson’s Artwork Prize positively takes the biscuit.
Battersea Park Summer season, 2019
Andrew Torr
Oil on canvas, 50 x 50 cm | 19.6 x 19.6 in
Josephine: What exhibitions or artists have impressed you over the past yr?
Andrew: One of many exhibits that I’ve loved this yr has been Alice Neel on the Barbican, it’s an incredible present. Simply goes to indicate that in the event you type of plough your personal furrow and imagine in what you’re doing, that’s a good way to reach portray. They’re simply beautiful, heartfelt, home work, guileless, however completely good.
The Julie Mehretu present at White Dice was actually good. I’ve all the time preferred her work and it was slightly bit shocking the best way she’s gone with it this final yr, however the works had been simply brilliantly creative. Anselm Kiefer was at White Dice as effectively, a variety of the work he’s been doing not too long ago was primarily based on Joyce’s Finnegans Wake and I’m an enormous James Joyce fan. It was nice to see that he handled that in a very beautiful, respectful method. A tremendous present, I used to be blown away by it.
I used to be additionally fortunate sufficient to see the Nicolas de Staël retrospective on the Fashionable Artwork Museum in Paris. Once more, one other painter that I actually love and I’m unsure why he’s not higher identified off the artwork pages in a method. His work is so conventionally lovely, rigorous and unbelievable, it’s nice to see that present. On the similar time after I was there, the large Rothko present was on on the Louis Vuitton Basis and it was simply astonishing.
Any of the exhibits which were organised by Modern British Portray this yr have been nice. I’m not affiliated with them in any method, however I believe that what they do and their angle to exhibiting and selling good portray has been actually nice. I went right down to Rye to see one among their exhibits twice. One of many exhibitors there was Paula McArthur, who gained the Decide’s Alternative Award by Matthew Burroughs within the Jackson’s Artwork Prize.
Thames – East From Waterloo Bridge, 2019
Andrew Torr
Josephine: How vital or useful do you suppose awards and competitions are to artists right now?
Andrew: I believe competitions are nice for painters and artists working right now. Competitions pressure you to contemplate your work in relation to others, one thing we hardly ever do within the studio. Portray is kind of a solitary factor to do, even in the event you paint within the studio or in the event you paint en plein air or no matter your observe is. You hardly ever put your self up in opposition to different folks in a method that you simply do once you enter a contest. It’s important to be aware of what distinguishes you from different people who find themselves portray, and what it’s that makes your observe particular. I don’t suppose that we must always ever deal with what we do as a contest in opposition to different folks, relatively it makes you perceive that what you’re making just isn’t in a vacuum.
To make use of a soccer analogy, I believe a contest like Jackson’s Artwork Prize is just like the FA Cup relatively than the Champions League. The wonderful thing about the FA Cup is that anyone might probably win it. Like Tooting and Mitcham, who’re my native group, might find yourself profitable the FA Cup. In case you are working away in your studio someplace within the Midlands and really feel disregarded of the artwork world, this can be a terrific likelihood to become involved and have your work judged amongst your friends.
Josephine: What made you enter Jackson’s Artwork Prize 2024? Did you ever suppose you’ll win?
Andrew: I’ve all the time been impressed with the works chosen for Jackson’s Artwork Prize. I believe anyone who paints is impressed in the identical method, it’s simply very effectively regarded. It additionally helped this time round that I used to be longlisted the earlier yr, which type of makes you suppose, “Oh, effectively, I have to be doing one thing proper.” It kind of spurs you on slightly bit, however I by no means as soon as thought that I’d win the competitors. I’m assured within the work that I’m doing and I’m happy with the best way that it’s going, however you don’t actually know the way it’s being obtained by folks till this stuff occur. That type of validation helps together with your confidence about what you’re doing and helps you perceive that you simply is perhaps going the appropriate method.
Property – Finish of the Affair, 2024
Andrew Torr
Oil on canvas, 40 x 40 cm | 15.7 x 15.7 in
Josephine: Are you wanting ahead to choosing the winner of your personal Decide’s Alternative Award?
Andrew: It’s a terrific honour to be requested to take a seat on the judging panel for Jackson’s Artwork Prize this subsequent yr, I’m significantly wanting ahead to it. I’ve been fortunate sufficient to win a couple of awards through the years and it’s troublesome to quantify how constructive it may be in an artist’s profession to win these issues. I believe having it in my reward to do this and assist anyone in that method is a good factor to do.
Clapham Frequent Summer season II (element), 2018
Andrew Torr
Oil on linen 100 x 100 cm | 39.3 x 39.3 in
Josephine: What’s going to you be searching for amongst the submissions?
Andrew: By way of judging, I believe it’s simpler to say what I’m not searching for than what I’m searching for. I’m not searching for a selected method to portray. As a figurative painter, I’m not the type of painter who would essentially be drawn to figurative portray. When you consider one other painter who was one of many winners in final yr’s Jackson’s Artwork Prize, Melanie Berman, her portray was summary and it’s some of the terrific issues within the present. I imply, it was such an amazing portray and it’s no shock that it was a prize-winner.
Property – The place Pleasure Endlessly Dwells, 2024
Andrew Torr
Oil on canvas, 91 x 91cm | 35.8 x 35.8 in
Josephine: What recommendation would you give to artists who’re eager about coming into Jackson’s Artwork Prize 2025?
Andrew: My important recommendation to anyone contemplating coming into the Jackson’s Artwork Prize 2025 is to cease contemplating and enter it. You simply gained’t remorse it. I believe there’s a worry amongst painters of rejection once you go into these competitions.
There are such a lot of elements concerned in judging these competitions, however none of them displays on the standard of your work. I’ve entered competitions the place I’ve not been thought of, shortlisted, or longlisted. Then there are others, like this one, the place I’ve accomplished effectively and you may’t gauge it.
You must simply get on with it and do it. I do really feel for actors who go into auditions the place you’re in a room with anyone and also you’re giving over one thing of your self after which anyone appears at you and says, “I’m sorry, however you’re not proper for the position.” That have to be crushing, however this isn’t like that. Don’t be afraid of rejection. We’re not making these work for competitions, every thing is a improvement. It’s nearly such as you’re being judged at a selected level on what you’re doing. And who is aware of, in the event you don’t get on this yr, the path that your work goes might imply that subsequent yr you’ve actually received into your stride and that could be your time. By no means be afraid of entering into for this stuff.
If I had been to supply recommendation to anybody coming into the competitors, I’d say it’s vital to contemplate how your work matches into the broader world. For me, having an uncommon material actually helped. I believe that if persons are that quantity of entries, one thing must make the work stand out from the remainder. I do know that’s simpler stated than accomplished, it’s one thing that we’re all the time making an attempt to do. I didn’t pressure an issue onto my work as a result of I assumed it’d be uncommon. An issue has to come back organically, it needs to be one thing that you’re studying from and assured with. You possibly can’t pressure it, but it surely’s simply one thing value taking into account.
Watch our interview with Andrew Torr on Instagram
Visitor Judges
Anita Klein Printmaker and painter, fellow and previous president of the Royal Society of Painter Printmakers
Anne Rothenstein: Artist represented by Stephen Friedman Gallery, RWA Academician
Péjú Oshin Curator, author, and lecturer whose work sits on the intersection of artwork, type, & tradition
Hugo Barclay Director of Inexpensive Artwork Truthful UK, Curator, and Artwork Advisor
Joshua Donkor Artist, member of the Modern British Portrait Painters
Andrew Torr Artist, winner of Jackson’s Artwork Prize 2024 together with his portray, Property
Additional Studying
How We Collaborate With Artists
Jackson’s Artwork Prize 2024 Exhibition on the Inexpensive Artwork Truthful
Artwork Truthful Guidelines for Artists
Knowledgeable Recommendation on Making Your Manner as an Artist
Go to Jackson’s Artwork Prize web site
