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Institutions and galleries organize and curate shows for all kinds of reasons: to argue for a certain cultural esthetic or philosophy, to promote the work of individual artists for commercial purposes, or to draw fruitful parallels among artists and subjects–among many other good motives.
The purpose of the show that I have just juried–or so it seems to me–has been a kind of in-house show- and-tell. The goal here is to give artists a chance to see what their peers are doing in their studio practices and to measure themselves accordingly, with the aim of improving the quality of their work over time. Because of this, I admitted at least one artwork from each artist who applied to be in the show. In consultation with Joe Rudski, I agreed that, in jurying, my priority would be to reward technical excellence in preference to conceptual interest. Not that they are mutually exclusive, of course.
The artworks that have received awards are a mixed bag in terms of scale, medium, and focus–a bit of an apples and oranges collection, really. I chose two photographs, two pastels, one watercolor, and
three oil paintings.
BEST OF SHOW
The Girls–William Horvath
Juror's comment
I was surprised that so few of the entrants for this show took full advantage of the expressive and emotional power of color–something I certainly saw in this picture. Horvath’s “girls” aren’t your typical beach babes, by any means, but I felt their joy in the reflected light and the water. In the moment captured by this piece, they seemed–to me–beautiful.
FIRST PLACE
Resting on the MLK Bridge–Aaron Bivins
Juror's comment
Watercolor is an extremely exacting and difficult discipline, and I am often surprised at how many beginning artists choose it as a medium. Clearly, Bivins is no beginner. His fluid and skillful paint handling conveys the moment and the light beautifully, and he left enough white paper showing through the paint to give some sparkle to the composition.
SECOND PLACE
Ezra–Donnie Rowland
Juror's comment
This small painting showed some real compositional inventiveness. The sunglasses on the subject are little monochrome paintings in themselves, showing twin reflections of the artist photographing the subject with an iPhone. The child’s eyes show faintly through the bottom of the lenses. The artist made excellent use of the small scale, almost filling the composition to the edge with a life-sized child’s face. The convex lenses of the sunglasses seem to bulge out from the picture plane and actually made me step back.
THIRD PLACE
Ryan–Terry Dennis
Juror's comment
This is just good, solid painting–well scaled, with accomplished, though subdued, paint handling and just enough attention to detail. The artist seems to have captured the subject’s spirit–light, warm and intimate–in two dimensions. The connection of the subject with the painter–and with the viewer–is palpable.
HONORABLE MENTION
Mayfield–Stephen Mockensturm
Juror's comment
Chiaroscuro, the Renaissance painting technique that creates the illusion of space through light and shadow, is alive and well in this painting; nice impasto work too. The drapery and the warm tones of the bass fiddle in the background, and that little bonus still life on the left side of the composition, took me right into the bar where I could anticipate a lyrical trumpet solo by an accomplished musician.
HONORABLE MENTION
Waiting for You–Joe Rudski
Juror's comment
I was quite taken by the warmth and humanity of this portrait. The emotion in the subject’s gaze really connected and reminded me of late Roman Coptic portraits. This was quite a romantic picture. The hands were very well drawn, and I would have rated this piece higher except for the unresolved treatment of the background.
HONORABLE MENTION
Self Portrait–Daniel Lerma
Juror's comment
This moderately-sized self-portrait was particularly well done on a technical level. I liked the way the artist used bright blue as both shadow and highlight. This picture conveyed both a sense of the subject’s presence and of his recessive character.
HONORABLE MENTION
Ever After High Melody Piper–Nancy Light
Juror's comment
I admit I’m a sucker for staged photographs, and I liked the air of pretty menace that this picture emanated. The fact that you can’t see the doll’s eyes adds a special element of anxiety which was underscored by the photographer’s color choices.
PEOPLE'S CHOICE
Pensive Ballerinas–Joseph Rudski
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