I just had the distinct honor of judging an art exhibit. Two actually. One was an all-media exhibit, the other a themed show. Both included awards, and I had to select the winners.
I was tickled to be asked. It wasn't my first time jurying a show, but the all-media exhibit is the largest show to date that I've done. Deciding what goes in and what stays out isn't as easy as it may seem. Unlike what one friend jokingly expressed, I don't get to just "choose what I like." Not if I'm taking it seriously, and for the sake of the artists who enter a show, I owe them that much. To take the time to look at their work and honor what they have created. What I did do was choose what spoke to me, on some level, after the formal elements, technique and style was considered. I didn't necessarily "like" each selection, meaning I might not go home with it, but each piece had merit and was worth including.
The reality is, I had a limited amount of time and space. So the first round I spent eliminating anything that was poorly done....rough edges, incomplete passages, bad framing, sloppiness, damaged work, etc. Artists, take note: if you wonder why your work isn't accepted repeatedly, these are issues to check and double-check.
The second round was to choose the pieces that were without question going in. These are the pieces done perfectly, work formally and/or draw me in. Usually these are the ones that become the "winners" and place for ribbons and prize money.
Lastly is the time consuming part...choosing the rest. This is where a lot of fine work has to be sent home, simply because it may not fit the gallery, or it doesn't have a place to fit cohesively into a show. Or perhaps the technique is perfect, but doesn't connect with the viewer (in this case, me.) Or it connects viscerally, but is poorly done for any range of reasons. Or perhaps it's just too much like the other 4 pieces right next to it and has no personality of its own. This is where, if you are an artist entering a show, you want to present your best. Best work, best presentation, best technique, best choices. As a teaching friend quite recently said in a presentation of art history, "If you are doing work for self-satisfaction, well, then maybe it needs to stay home." (his entire commentary on that was quite hilarious and too detailed to include here, but you get the drift.) We do a lot of things for our own satisfaction that just needn't be shared with others. Be sure your art is ready to share.
Even more important than all of the above is making your art yours. Different, not for the sake of being different, but to speak from within you. Find your distinct palette, or subject or technique. I looked at probably a dozen landscapes, even after eliminating quite a number of others. I had to put them all in the same place, to compare them, because quite honestly, many were so similar they could have been done by the same artist. I needed some to "step forward." Many were beautifully rendered paintings, but I couldn't keep each. And what a dull show they would have made, had I kept them all. Again, at this point, elimination had to be done due to space constraints, so the ones that stood out from the crowd in some way, yet also worked within the context of the rest of the show, were the ones that made this exhibit. (by the way, one of the landscapes was put on hold and possibly sold opening night.)
The second exhibit was themed, "Reigning Cats and Dogs."
I noticed the quality of entries for this show was incredibly high...there weren't too many pieces that were eliminated. Again, see above - sloppiness, bad framing, etc. were factors. Because this show was in an even smaller space, I had to eliminate some beautiful pieces due to size. Also, thankfully, several artists entered two pieces, so I was able to include what I thought was the stronger - even when both were excellent.
Part II coming soon. I'll talk about the process of selecting a winner. And my thoughts on "winning" when we speak of art.
Part III - I'd like to share my experience/interaction after opening night with two of the artists.
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