David Eichenberg has his eyes on the prize. Eichenberg was recently named to the shortlist of finalists for the prestigious annual BP Portrait Award, which offers entrants a chance at exhibiting their work in London’s National Portrait Gallery and a top cash prize of £25,000.

Eichenberg, who received an undergraduate degree in sculpture from UT in 1998, began painting professionally a few years ago. While at UT, he studied under Professor Thomas Lingeman, while also minoring in painting under Linda Ames-Bell. Prior to the BP Award, Eichenberg was a finalist for the 2009 Boochever Portrait Competition, exhibiting in the National Portrait Gallery, located in the Smithsonian Institute.

Eichenberg

“Of course I hope that I do take the top prize. I’ve been getting into a number of shows lately and my friends have been joking around about me being hot right now. The secret is actually entering your work, because you don’t know until you try. If I do win, I think the money will go toward funding more artwork,” Eichenberg said.

Eichenberg’s piece, an oil portrait of his friend, sculptor Timothy A. Stover, titled “Tim II,” was selected from a record field of 2,177 entries from around the globe. Entrants must be at least 18 years of age and may submit a single piece. The juried competition requires that artists send their original work, as opposed to slides. This year’s other shortlisted finalists are U.K. natives Daphne Todd and Michael Gaskell.

In addition to the main prize, the first place winner also receives a commission worth £4,000. The second prize winner receives £8,000 and the third place winner £6,000. For the fourth year there will be a BP Young Artist Award of £4,000 for the work of an entrant aged between 18 and 30. BP also offers a travel award. Results will be announced June 22. The exhibition will be on display June 24, through September 19, and is free and open to the public.

“I chose Tim as my subject because I see him in my studio building everyday, and there is just something about him. I think the piece captures certain turmoil in his life, that time between finishing college and entering graduate school. I’m really getting into my comfort zone working with oils right now.”

Eichenberg, who begins his artistic routine working from snapshots, also takes commission work via his website, www.davideichenberg.com. For more information, visit www.npg.org.uk.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 4th, 2010 at 11:10 am and is filed under People, Star.
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