Thursday 23 August 2007: It was announced today at the Art Gallery of New South Wales that ANA POLLAK is the winner of the 2007 Dobell Prize for Drawing for her sensitively realised and restrained landscape drawing Mullet Creek.

Ana Pollak was awarded $20,000 for winning Australia’s most respected award for drawing in Australia. A worthy winner, Ana Pollak’s Mullet Creek joins a remarkable collection of drawings acquired as Dobell Prize winners at the Art Gallery of New South Wales since 1993.  This year there were 514 drawings entered, of which 45 are included in the exhibition.  The artist, Colin Lanceley was this year’s judge.

Colin Lancely: 'This is an articulate and generous drawing that clearly refers to a river landscape.  Also, the work says something about the general language of drawing through the quality of line - the juxtaposition of both relaxed and tense lines.'

A resident of Dangar Island, Ana Pollak’s drawing is minimal and seemingly abstract. Reeds, water atmosphere are rendered with spare but delicate marks of charcoal. Ana Pollak studied at Byam Shaw School, London, Tom Bass Sculpture School, Sydney National Art School and Alexander Mackie College, Sydney.  She is a painter, sculptor and printmaker as well as draughtswoman.

The Dobell Prize for Drawing, initiated by the trustees of the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation was first awarded in 1993. There are fifteen prize-winning drawings in the collection acquired as a result of the prize, which form part of a growing collection of Australian drawings at the gallery.