"By Virtue of this Act I Hereby Take Possession of This Land", by Brian Robinson

The Collie Art Prize is one of the most hotly anticipated art competitions in Western Australia if not nationally. The $50,000 first prize attracts over 500 entries each year and a selection of about 40 finalists is presented in the Art Prize exhibition. The winner of the first Collie Art Prize, in 2018 was this linoprint by the Cairns-based Torres Strait Islander Brian Robinson titled By Virtue of This Act I Hereby Take Possession of This Land. The art prize theme is “identity” and in this print, Robinson cleverly places a well known portrait of Captain Cook in front of indigenous imagery and the “space invaders” icon.