John Moores Painting Prize 2025
The John Moores Painting Prize first started in 1957 and is now held every two years at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. The John Moores Painting Prize displays work from artists from all over the UK that are based in Liverpool, aged 18 or over. The first ever John Moores Painting Prize was only meant to be a one-off event however due to the success of the exhibition it became a biennial event. It became a leading showcase in the early 60s for avant-grade painters. John Moores even purchased the work of the prize-winner, and their work would be kept in the Walker’s permanent collection.
John Moores (1896-1993) was the founder of a Liverpool-based company, Littlewoods. John Moores had fierce pride in his local community, and he was a keen amateur painter. London's domination in the art scene concerned John Moores; therefore, he established the John Moores Painting Prize as a means of competition. The competition was open to anyone to participate. John Moores also sponsored the exhibition prizes. He earnt his knighthood in 1980 giving him the title Sir John Moores.
My experience at the John Moores Painting Prize 2025
I have visited the Walker on many occasions such as for lectures and for my own enjoyment. Recently I went to the Walker for a lecture to visit the John Moores Painting Prize to view contemporary art and to spend time with something unfamiliar. We were asked by our lecturer to walk around the exhibition and to spend time with a painting. As I walked along the exhibition I hadn’t been open minded really and stuck to my opinion that I do not enjoy contemporary art as I don’t find it interesting and I feel like sometimes people just put paint on a canvas and call it a day. However, there was one artwork that I kept coming back to again and again. To the untrained eye it just looked like scribbles and lines on a canvas. The painting was ‘Chess Moves’ by Tyler Mallison (2025) acrylic on canvas. As I kept finding myself drawn to the artwork I sat in front and took my time and just looked. I didn’t think. I didn’t guess. I didn’t ask questions. Just Looked. With every passing second, I just knew I was getting closer to something maybe it was the truth that lied within the painting. After a few minutes of just looking I realised something. The artwork was chess moves. And no, I don’t mean the moves that the chess pieces make when playing but the words ‘chess moves’ itself written in a clever way to catch you out. It was spectacular. I couldn’t believe it. I had found the meaning of that painting just by looking and letting my mind go quiet. The whole purpose of the painting was that I wasn’t meant to see the words at first and that I needed to spend time with the artwork to understand. When I finally understood I found myself asking questions such as,
Is this what the artist intended?
Did the artist write chess moves with a chess piece?
Is the chess piece significant to the artwork?
What is the artists history with chess?
It is something so profound that I had found in the artwork what I was meant to find. After spending many years disliking contemporary art because I found it boring, but the truth was, I only thought like that because I hadn’t spent time with contemporary art pieces before. I didn’t have an open mind. This is what led me to find contemporary art unattractive. Overall, I am really happy that I went to the John Moores Painting Prize as I got to learn something new about the art world and about myself as well, I had learnt that I needed to have an open mind in the art field and not being bound to a certain genre of painting styles and I believe that this is something profound, to have been able to open my mind and just take in what was in front of me.
Another artwork that instantly drew me in was ‘You Are Everything and Everything Is You’ by Leon Scott-Engel (2024) oil on tailored linen, foam. Wow. What an art piece. It is so fascinating. What drew me in at first was the colours and that it was painted on a small mattress like a child’s mattress. At first glance it just looked like a yellow stained mattress but when I spent time with the painting and let my mind clear it is so much more that a yellow stained mattress. By spending time with the painting, I fell in love with it. Painted on the mattress I could see a parental figure embracing a child in a loving and warm hug. The painting makes me feel comfortable and nostalgic as to when I was a child and needed comfort from my parents. The artwork might be suggesting a story of a mother comforting her child possibly something from the artists past that could have inspired the art piece but this I can only assume.
I am still finding myself asking questions;
Who is the parental figure?
Why did the artist choose yellow?
What emotions are they feeling?
Is this based on something that has happened?
Is this something the artist longed for?
This is a powerful art piece when you spend time with it and touching really. It confronted me if I am being honest and found myself asking questions about my childhood and the comfort that I have received from my parents. It is extraordinary what art can do and how moving it can be. This must be my favourite piece that was displayed in the John Moores Painting Prize just because of how endearing and clever it is.
John Moores Painting Prize Winner 2025
The winner of the 2025 John Moores Painting Prize was Ally Fallon with their painting ‘If You Were Certain, What Would You Do Then?’. Fallon (27) became the youngest winner since 1957. What an achievement. I cannot find the word to explain the art piece. It is interesting to say the least. However, my experience with it is that I didn’t find any story within the painting and it threw me off for a while. I am still unsure what the painting is exactly. I don’t understand how it has won but the judges must have found something like what I did with the other two paintings I mentioned above. For me personally I did not find something that sparked something in me.
Overall, what a fantastic experience I had at the John Moores Painting Prize 2025, and I cannot wait for the next for another opportunity to open my mind and find myself in more contemporary art pieces. Could this be a start to me starting to enjoy contemporary art? I guess I will have to wait and see.
