A DECADE of graffiti carefully peeled from a favourite haunt of Perth’s underground artists has taken out the top award at the Fremantle Art Centre Print Award.

WA artist Sam Bloor used purpose-made chisels to reveal layers of aerosol paint applied by the artists, which was held together by a coating of hardy council paint.

Titled In Unison, the Curtin University fine arts student’s relief print earned him $16,000 which came with first prize.

Bloor’s print offers a history of its parent site and the aerosol impressions of anonymous collaborators, the judges said.

“It’s years and years of history of the artists and the council workers,” Dr Darren Jorgensen says.

• Sam Bloor and his award-winning print, peeled off a favourite haunt of graffiti artists. Photo supplied

“The same council workers and the same artists painting over each other.”

The University of WA senior lecturer reckons it’s a lesson in leaving graffiti: “Eventually you get some great art,” he says, pointing to the Brisbane Power Station restoration where the best of its old graffiti is now a showpiece.

Victorian artists Elvis Richardson and Virginia Fraser were awarded second prize of $6000 for FEMMOTM, a bold triptych of magazine covers with no pages that plays on ideas of feminism: “And the perceived power of media,” the judges said.

“[It] speaks to an audience of female artists, singling out those who are a statistical majority and yet remain a visible minority in the industry.”

Hilton local Shannon McClulloch’s Clever Exploration of Power Hats was highly commended.

The Print Award exhibition runs until November 12 at the arts centre.

by JENNY D’ANGER