A BRUSH of shoulders when delivering their works for judging in the $40,000 Glover Prize saw the paths of a retired teacher and former student cross for the first time in more than 20 years.
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Launceston pencil artist Richard Klekociuk and Damien Baumgartner are both finalists in Australia's premier annual prize for landscape, and this week they were among 42 artists delivering their works to Evandale in preparation for final judging next week.
Klekociuk said it was more a matter of when rather than if he and Baumgartner would reconnect, as both artists were represented at Longford's Brave Art gallery, and both had solo exhibitions at the gallery within weeks of each other. For Baumgartner, bumping into Klekociuk at Evandale rekindled memories of his days as a graphic design and art student in the early 1990s at Launceston College, where Klekociuk was his teacher.
``Richard covered areas of modernism and graphic design,'' Baumgartner recalled. `` He was a good teacher and so generous in sharing knowledge and giving tips on technique.
``Even when he moved to teach at Riverside I would often email him for advice, which he would give happily and willingly.
``It's terrific to catch up again, especially as peers in a great exhibition such as the Glover.''
Baumgartner has been a Glover finalist once in 2004, and is thrilled his work Red Shift is in the finalist mix.
``Being recognised in the Glover really does broaden your audience as an artist, there is definitely kudos in selection,'' he said. ``I haven't allowed myself to consider what it would be like to win, but the years I haven't been selected has made me determined to work harder the next year.''
Baumgartner's haunting works explore the ``dynamic desolation of Tasmanian roads'' and the prevalence of roadkill.
Klekociuk revisited Table Cape, one of his favourite parts of Tasmania, for inspiration for his Glover entry - Preparing the Table (Cape) .
Judges for this year's Glover Prize are Julie Ewington, curatorial manager of Australian Art at the Queensland Art Gallery, 2012 Archibald Prize winner Tim Storrier, and Michael Edwards, director of Hobart's Contemporary Art Spaces Tasmania.
The winner of the Glover Prize will be announced at Evandale's Falls Pavilion at 6.30pm on Friday.
Richard Klekociuk's solo exhibition Landscape Precis opens at Brave Art gallery today, and Damien Baumgartner's exhibition, Duende, will open on April 5.
FACT FILE
WHAT: Glover Prize for landscape exhibition.
WHERE: Falls Pavilion, Evandale.
WHEN: Saturday, March 8, to Tuesday, March 11.
