The panel of judges, Dr Robert Haysom, Mr Kevin Boyd and Mr Philip Davey, were unanimous in their decision when choosing Coldrey’s Pet Drone #1 as the winning piece. They shared their enthusiasm for the work with an appreciation of its clever concept and elements of the absurd fused with society's contemporary obsession with emotionally loaded modern technology.
Part of the series Retro Futurism, the artwork explores how our relationship with technology has changed over time. Coldrey's pieces feature robots, drones, and self-portraits developed during her Art-Tech Residency as the inaugural artist in residence at Yarra Ranges Tech School.
Coldrey is the 2021 Victorian Government John Monash Scholar and will soon undertake an MSc in Humanitarian Engineering at the University of Warwick in England. She is currently researching humanitarian engineering and endometriosis communication and is heavily involved in 3D printing practice.
