Losers complain about winning 'rubbish' artwork

Is this conceptual art or a pile of rubbish? Is anybody able to understand what the artistic intention of the piece is? Calling a random item "art" as a way of "challenging the definition of art" is hardly an original idea and does not deserve this recognition. I wonder if this art piece was chosen because it looked arty and highbrow enough; judged the winner in a cargo-cult manner because it apes famous and controversial art. (eg the YBA movement). Quite possibly, that was the artists' only intention. (And perhaps to make a mockery of the underdeveloped art scene down in NZ.) Doesn't a local artist with actual skill and originality deserve recognition?

Dane Mitchell is laughing all the way to the bank. No wonder the Springboks didn't want to go to Hamilton...

I don't see how he could of won if he did not make it. Did he even attend?

While art should be interesting and something that you enjoy creating and exhibiting or looking at- it won't always appeal to everyone. Quite often a judge will make a controversial decision to create just that- controversy - which never fails to get people talking about it. Which, this has achieved. What is ART and who creates it and what is it really worth? We'll never know the answer because someone will always say that it's just "a pile of rubbish" or it's an artistic installation. Quite frankly, this is just what it is, a pile of rubbish that the Artist did not create, all he had was the concept and that was accepted as his entry. He's been recognised as an artist by his award, which as artists we all want from time to time. It reaffirms for us that we do something that a judge happened to like. Hopefully the money he has won, he will use to broaden his horizons.

This piece is perfect. It doesn't matter what it is made of or how it was made... It is serving it's purpose which is to make people think about art, or rather, what art is. I LOVE it.

Excuse me what is that? lucky I wasn't around a lighter and marshmellow would be better or go to MT trashmoore Virginia beach Virginia,and see what they did with the trash something nice and echo for the envirement,I hope he give the money for charity,now I would anderstand that..

This is my entry....where's my money? I judge myself winner, do you hear me Charlotte? I mean you do know great art don't you ? Don't you ? THEN PROVE IT! Cash please.

Although some media have suggested other finalists are up in arms over Dane’s win I have seen no evidence of this and affirm his finished work. What does concern me is the journey from original idea to that finished work. The Waikato is a competition, and as such has terms and conditions all entrants must follow. In the 'Close up' report on the Waikato competition Dane’s instructions were held up by the gallery curator, they read; 'INSTRUCTION FOR WORK Retain all disposed and discarded packing material from the other works in the exhibition. Leaving nothing out -include all bubble wrap, cardboard, plastic etc. Pile all this material into a heap in the exhibition space.' Then in smaller writing it read; 'This jpeg is not the work only an instruction in order that the work may be completed' This last sentence interested me as I know in the terms and conditions for entry into the competition item 6 says 'An image of the entry is to be submitted with the website entry form' Could this be Dane’s 'image', and if so is that really sticking to the conditions of the competition? Item 7.10 in the same entry conditions states; 'Art works can not be changed or added to once they have been submitted', that’s pretty subjective in this case. Item 7.2 'Employees of the Waikato Museum are not eligible to enter.' Maybe not, but allowed to make the work? Once the judge had seen all entries on line she picked semi-finalists, these were delivered to the gallery for her to view and judge in person. That was mid July. My understanding is this is when the winner was chosen. This begs the question ‘did the judge ever see Dane’s finished work, or was it an instruction and the image it placed in her mind, rather than something seen that made him the winner? Danes work has depth and smarts, but as a competition entrant the registrar must make sure all the terms and conditions of the competition are followed. I just hope all have played by the rules.

Sounds like a bunch of sore losers. The piece is certainly better than any called "Domestic Violence is Not Okay". Jeeze! Tell me something I don't know. Is some wife beater going to go in and look at the sculpture and go "maybe I'm wrong" ? Gimme a break.

This is the Onion...right?