The winner of the £5,000 Catlin Art Prize 2014 is Royal College of Art graduate Neil Raitt. He was selected by an independent panel of judges comprising Turner Prize winner Mark Wallinger, writer and critic Coline Milliard and gallery director and curator Will Jarvis.
Describing Raitt’s hypnotic, close up paintings depicting alpine mountain ranges that dissolve into mazes of abstraction, Wallinger said: “We were all immediately struck by the effectiveness of Neil’s work. It needs no mediation, directly addressing the viewer and achieving what it sets out to do. There is nothing superfluous. It is spare, determined, accomplished and knowing. Easy to look at but with a hypnotic depth, its apparent simplicity belies a painstaking technique and quiet maturity.”
Raitt, who graduated last year from MA Painting at the Royal College of Art, London, said: “This is so unexpected I don’t really know what to say. The whole experience has been amazing, and I’m excited about the future. I’d like to thank Justin and the whole Catlin team as well as my fellow finalists. I’ve learnt so much and winning will give me a chance to secure my studio and start working on my next exhibition.”
This year’s Visitor Vote went to Central Saint Martins graduate Lara Morrell, who recieves a £2000 prize.
Now entering its eighth year, the Catlin Art Prize is an annual event showcasing the most promising UK art school graduates one year on from their degree exhibitions. This year’s finalists are: Mr. & Mrs. Philip Cath (Goldsmiths), Sarah Fortais (Central Saint Martins), Virgile Ittah (Royal College of Art), Lara Morrell (Central Saint Martins), Neil Raitt (Royal College of Art), Dennis J. Reinmüller (Edinburgh College of Art), and Jakob Rowlinson (The Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art).
The Catlin Art Prize 2014 exhibition continues until 24 May at Londonnewcastle Project Space. artcatlin.com
