Kevin Connor is the winner of the 2005 Dobell Prize for his drawing, Le Grand Palais, Cl�menceau, de Gaulle and me (illustrated above).

Kevin Connor has been awarded $20,000 for winning this prestigious prize, and his work automatically acquired for permanent collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. There were 576 entries this year and the prize was judged by artist, writer and curator, Elizabeth Cross. 

Kevin Connor is a distinguished painter and draughtsman of expressive urban landscapes, figure compositions and portraits, with works in all major public and many private collections in Australia. Born in 1932, he has travelled extensively in Europe, America and the Middle East since the mid 1950s. He first exhibited in 1951 and his first solo show was in Melbourne in 1962. He is the recipient of a Harkness Fellowship (New York 1966-68), and the winner of numerous prizes including the Archibald Prize (1975 and 1977), the Sulman Prize (1992, 1997) and the Dobell Prize in 1993. He taught at the National Art School and Alexander Mackie College, Sydney. In 1989 the AGNSW staged a survey exhibition Kevin Connor, paintings and drawings 1947-88.

Kevin Connor says "I could live without painting and making sculptures but I just could not live without drawing. When you are up against a brick wall, or in doubt, draw!" 

More About the Dobell Prize for Drawing

The Dobell Prize for Drawing is one of the most coveted art awards in Australia. Initiated by the trustees of the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation, the Prize was first awarded in 1993. The winner receives $20,000.

The judge of the 2005 Dobell Prize is Elizabeth Cross, an artist, art writer and curator of last year's Edvard Munch exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria. The winner of this year's Prize will be announced on Thursday 4 August at 11am. Works will be delivered to the Gallery between Wednesday 27 July and Friday 29 July. Last year, there were 677 entries.

The Dobell Prize for Drawing has always been the subject of discussion and debate about the nature of drawing. What constitutes a drawing is however deliberately not outlined in the conditions of entry. That has been left for competing artists to define by their practice and for each individual judge, annually appointed by the trustees of the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation, to determine in the process of looking at all the entries. This flexible, open-minded approach has ensured that the greatest variety of drawings is submitted each year.

A condition of the Dobell Prize for Drawing is that the Art Gallery of New South Wales automatically acquires the prize-winning drawing each year. In all there are twelve prize-winning drawings in the collection acquired as a result of the Dobell Prize, which now forms part of a growing collection of contemporary Australian drawings at the gallery.

IMAGE: Kevin Connor Le Grand Palais, Cl�menceau, de Gaulle and me. � Kevin Connor. Winner of the 2005 Dobell Prize for Drawing