SUTHERLAND artist Kevin McKay won the Allan Gamble Memorial Prize at the recent Mosman Prize awards at Mosman Art Gallery.
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The $3000 prize is awarded each year for a painting of the built environment, alongside the $30,000 Mosman Prize.
The prize attracted 850 entries, of which 100 made it to the finals. McKay submitted two works.
"I felt incredibly lucky when both were selected, and like I won the lottery to receive this prestigious prize," he said.
His winning entry Barangaroo Observations was completed after an excursion to Observatory Hill.
"I responded initially to the contrast between the voyeuristic views into private backyards and the grand vista of the harbour but the painting also depicts the early stages of the controversial Barangaroo Point development in contrast with the historic Millers Point terraces," McKay said.
"The site has a long Aboriginal and maritime history, and it seems the tension between the interests of local residents and developers continues."
McKay has been painting urban landscapes since graduating from the National Art School in 2009. He enjoys exploring the city to find the subject matter for his paintings.
"The city is like a giant still life, full of interesting geometries which come to life under the magic of atmospheric light," he said.
The Mosman Prize was judged and presented by the former Hazelhurst Regional Gallery director Michael Rolfe.
