Art: Miriam Sweeney

Last February the artist Miriam Sweeney entered a competition hosted by the famous Saatchi Gallery with the name Showdown. The winner of this competition wins exposure via the Saatchi website and gallery plus additional 1000 dollar prize money. With over 4500 entries, Sweeney competed with her work Subversion and she won! The two works are simple stunning, because they have this quiet strength. There is just something very poetic about the two pieces. Very sober, clean and mysterious. Do click on the images for a bigger view.

Miriam Sweeney who is originally from Cork  has had several jobs over the years, but she is now a part time teacher and artist. Together with her partner Michael they have four children and two grand children. Sweeney is the typical older artist that has struggled in the transition of wanting to be an artist to knowing that she is one. She describers her work Subversion as a way to articulate a journey from one level of reality to another. They represent the unknown and yet to trust in the leap of faith that takes us to the next step.

Via Showdown by Saatchi it gives forgotten artists or artists that never had their breakthrough a chance to still get noticed. This online competition is a place on the internet where artists can showcase their work and compete with other artists, giving the winner a chance to display their art at the Saatchi Gallery in London. Furthermore Saatchi’s Showdown sends their finalists to important art fairs. Recently they were presented at the prestigious Art Paris. Although Showdown is not the only voting art website out there,  it is the only one that carries the heavy name of Saatchi.

http://www.saatchionline.com/showdown