Forbo Flooring is fuelling artistic endeavours as major sponsor of the Silk Cut Awards for Linocut prints, which will be annual from this year (formerly biannual). 

The prestigious Silk Cut Award for Linocut prints, one of the most important printmaking awards in Australia has winning works exhibited in the Silk Cut Collection at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA).

Commenced in 1995 by Duroloid which formed the Silk Cut Foundation with Forbo Flooring, it is the only national print award to have a category dedicated to students, providing print artists of all ages with the opportunity for their work to be recognised on a national stage.                                                                                 

Aside from display at the NGA, the attractive prize pool includes a choice of a trip to Amsterdam worth $7000 including return air fare, 10 days accommodation and $1000 spending money or a monetary prize of $8000 for the winning open section entrant.

The student section sees four successful entrants win a Silk Cut Award trophy and certificate while the overall first place prize winner receives a $2500 cash prize for their school’s art department.

Silk Cut Linoleum is a highly responsive medium that allows the artist to create intricate and innovative prints. It is made by Forbo from ecologically friendly renewable raw materials of linseed oil, rosin, wood flour, limestone and cork, and is available through Duroloid in Australia.

Winning entrants for 2008 will be announced on 5 September at the Silk Cut Awards presentation evening.  The Silk Cut Awards Exhibition will run 8 - 21 September 2008 at the Glen Eira City Council Gallery, before winning artworks move to the NGA in November.

This year’s Silk Cut Awards esteemed panel of judges includes Alisa Bunbury, Senior Curator of Prints and Drawings at the National Gallery of Victoria; Roger Butler, Senior Curator of Australian Prints, Drawings and Illustrated Books at National Gallery of Australia; and Martin King, Senior Printer with the Australian Print Workshop.

For more information on the Silk Cut Award 2008 please visit http://www.silkcutlino.com/ and for more information on Forbo visit www.forbo-flooring.com.au