AUS faculty member has artwork auctioned for charity

Sea Splash, a photograph by Mark Pilkington, Associate Professor at the College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD) at AUS, was selected for the Art 4 Sight Photography Competition charity auction held recently at the Zabeel Ladies Club in Dubai. Christie's auction house conducted the auction.

The Art 4 Sight 2013 Photography Competition is a charity art event where donated artwork is exhibited and sold in a fundraising auction to support the Noor Dubai Foundation's global programs. The competition showcases the skills and imagination of professional photographers, as they share their techniques and personal interpretation of blindness and other issues. Photographers are invited to share their vision and talent with the community while educating, and inspiring viewers from all around the world.

The Noor Dubai Foundation was launched in 2010 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. The foundation is a non-governmental, non-for-profit organization, which aims to eliminate all forms of preventable blindness globally.

"Sea Splash is one of the photographs I made while on sabbatical two years ago. This and other photographs have been exhibited at one-person exhibitions last year in Dubai, at Tashkeel gallery and in Malta at the Christinex gallery," said Pilkington. "The photographs made on sabbatical explore a romantic response to place. The theme of this work relates generally to my work that looks at belonging and longing through interaction."

"It is a great honor to be selected for this charitable event. As a photographer, light and seeing is critical to me, and the word 'photography means 'to draw with light,' so to donate work to the Art 4 Sight auction that supports curing and eliminating blindness is particularly relevant," he added.