It’s a good thing Adam Binder decided to stay behind. The one-time farm boy from the Cotswolds, who has made a name for himself as an animal sculptor in England, assessed the field of juried works at the 2010 Wildlife Artist of the Year Competition in London at Mall Galleries and felt an urge to leave. "All the work exhibited was indeed of such a high standard I nearly left before the awards were announced," he told Wildlife Art Journal.
Moments later, he learned that his bronze work Sinking Feeling, a 23 X 16 X 14 centimeter portrayal of a polar bear on thinning ice, had won the top prize and title "Wildlife Artist of the Year". “I'm absolutely delighted,” Binder says. "I can't tell you how much it means to have been selected."
Adam Binder's piece Sinking Feeling
Elaborating on the concept and design behind Sinking Feeling, Binder says: "The inspiration is simple. The desperate plight of the polar bear is very real. While portraying an image of [a species] clinging on for dear life I also wanted to capture the polar bear in a moment of complete harmony with its habitats—no conscious awareness of its changing environment or what lies ahead.”
Other honorees in the contest sponsored by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation were Paul Bartlett, the over-all runner-up and winner in the Endangered category for his fish painting, Last of the Many; Davina Bosanquet, winner of the Wildlife in Action category for her piece Buffalo in Motion; Darren Rees in the Wild Places category for the painting Ice Kittiwakes and Belugas, and Open category winner Nick Mackman for his whimsical and amusing sculpture Bad Hair Day.
See all of the short-listed works in the competition, including the works by Barlett, Bosanquet, Rees and Mackman, by clicking here. Read WAJ's feature story on David Shepherd, The Ever Green Shepherd, by clicking here. And enjoy the interview with Shepherd's daughter Mandy and granddaughter Emily Lamb by clicking here.
Binder submitted several different entries and the polar bear piece wasn't the only one that was short listed by the judges. He does not limit himself to pursuing one particular style of representational Realism. "I've sculpted many different species over the year," he says. “While attention to detail is vital, I endeavour to capture the simple form and flowing lines."
He adds, “I believe each animal possesses different qualities which enables us to connect with its character and sometimes this is only achieved by stripping away the unnecessary clutter which distracts the eye.”
According praise to artist David Shepherd and the organization he established to use art as a fulcrum for pursuing globalconservation, Binder said, “I feel honoured to be involved with the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, an organisation with incredible dedication and true passion for protecting the worlds wildlife and habitats. David's idea to bring together artists from around the world to highlight the plight of threatened wildlife and at the same raise lots of money is inspired.”
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