Author(s): CRUMLIN ROSEMARY

Religon

The Blake Prize for religious art has now withstood 60 years of controversy as critics from many walks of life have argued as to what, in these decades of Australia's history, constitutes 'religious art'. Rosemary Crumlin's richly illustrated book traces the changing styles of the literally thousands of entries to the Prize over six decades. These begin with winners of the prize in the 1950s who modelled their works on examples from Western art history and then extends to the decades when non-objectivity posed problems for those seeking religious imagery, through to the inclusion of Indigenous art and influences stemming from Asia and the Muslim world. This is a profoundly important history of a particular aspect of Australian art.