Analia Saban has been announced as the winner of the inaugural Rudin Prize for Emerging Photographers from the Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach. The international, biennial award, which comes with a $20,000 prize, was launched by Beth Rudin DeWoody, a member of the museum’s photography committee.
Saban was nominated for the award by artist John Baldessari, one of five artists on the nominating committee, along with Michal Rovner, Susan Meiselas, Yinka Shonibare and Graciela Iturbide. Each selected one photographer who had not yet had a solo museum exhibition to be considered for the award and included in a group show at the Norton. The winner was chosen by the museum’s photography committee and its executive director, Hope Alswang, and curator of photography, Tim B. Wride.
Born in Buenos Aires, Saban received her BFA from Loyola University, New Orleans, and her MFA from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she currently works as a photographer, painter, sculptor and installation artist, incorporating these different mediums into versatile works. Earlier this year, Saban’s work was featured in “Made in L.A. 2012” at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles.
Rudin DeWoody spoke of Saban’s selection in a press release, saying “while all of the finalists had something unique and captivating about their work, we felt Analia Saban best captured the spirit of the prize.”
“Analia Saban is leading the field in inventive, engaging new work,” added Wride. “Her work is characterized by combining photographic imagery with other art forms with stunning results.”
The other nominees for the Rudin Prize were: Eunice Adorn, Mexico City; Mauro D’Agati, Palermo, Italy; Gabriela Nin Solis, Mexico City;and Bjørn Venø, London.
PHOTO: Analia Saban, Seascape with Blue Tape, 2012, blue tape on gelatin silver print on resin coated paper, 8 by 10 inches.
