We returned from Vancouver to the news that Brian Jungen has won the $25,000 2010 Gershon Iskowitz award at the AGO, and that the $50,000 Sobey Art Prize longlist has been announced.

Vanessa Paschakarnis, Shield for a Human, 2009. Bronze. Image: erhard-metz.de

Most regions have a pretty clear shortlister for the Sobey (I’m thinking either Isabelle Pauwels or Jeremy Shaw from the West; Daniel Barrow from the Prairies; Diane Borsato or Jon Sasaki from Ontario and Duke and Battersby from the East) but Quebec has a tough choice between Pascal Grandmaison, Patrick Bernatchez, BGL, Adad Hannah and Karen Tam.

BGL, Le Discours des Elements, 2006. Image: quebecscene.ca

Brian Jungen, Shapeshifter, 2000. Image: smithsonianmag.com

There were also some surprise entries: Look out for work by the Cedar Tavern Singers and sculptor Vanessa Paschakarnis if you aren’t already familiar with them.

Daniel Barrow, performing one of his projector pieces. Image: urbanhonking.com

But perhaps it’s more a competition between dealers. With Toronto’s Jessica Bradley routinely leading the pack - she has three contenders - this year it’s neck and neck with Vancouver’s Catriona Jeffries, who has only two, but she’s also got Jungen.