• Harvey Mullen with his artwork Ghost in the Machine III.

HARVEY MULLEN has won the top prize in this year’s City of Melville Art Awards with his dense and brooding Ghost in the Machine III.

As part of the win, his painting has been acquired by the city: “This artwork is technically sophisticated consisting of many layers and conveying seductive depth,” the judges noted. “It is ambiguous yet curiously emotive.”

A total of 260 artworks were submitted to this year’s competition with 13 winners sharing $16,000 in prize money.

Jane Grierson won the Melivlle resident category for Marradungup–“an emotional observance of the landscape, with stunning tonal qualities and beautiful composition”–and the people’s choice award went to Julie Reeves for Maelstrom 2.