Juror’s
Statement
As an exhibition juror, I am drawn to works of
art that introduce subject matter, content and the formal elements (line,
color, shape, form, composition, etc.) in interesting and fresh ways. These are
the tools artists employ to explore and/or challenge traditional norms.
There are also parameters established by the
competition’s sponsors that must be weighed. For example, in the case of a
miniature show, one must make judgments based on how successful a piece is
given the imposed boundaries – or in spite of those limitations. There were an
exceptionally large number of strong entries submitted to this show. Thus,
arriving at ten finalists was tough.
The Award of Excellence went to Ariko Watanabi’s
Sunbather. Not only is the painting
striking for its attention to detail, dynamic composition and bold color but
the subject, a cat, is portrayed in a way that captures the true “nature” of
the species. Watanabi depicts a feline calmly basking in the sun and in this
case avoids the more common “cute” interpretation. At any scale, Sunbather would be an excellent
painting.
The First Place Award goes to Beverly
Fotheringham’s All Aboard, which
features a view of a train’s mechanical parts and railroad tracks. The diagonal
and cropped point of view adds to the sense of mystery that might cause the
viewer to question for a moment, “what happening here?” What is immediately
obvious is that the subject is man-made, intricate and powerful. Subject matter
aside, the artist’s even treatment and acknowledgment of the painting’s edges
results in a compositionally sound painting.
Glen Leung’s Helicopter
Tour #10 was awarded second place. The artist directs our attention to the
complexity of contemporary life – from an aerial perspective. A photographer smiles
as she aims her camera at the bridge below. It’s clear that the artist in
dealing with familiar subject and surroundings. There is a narrative but there
is also room for the viewer to construct their own account. Leung successfully combines a light-hearted
mood and narrative with loads of visual information.
Melissa Miller Nece’s String Bikinis and Janet Laird-Lagassee’s Cat's Quilt received Merit Awards for similar reasons. Both works
reveal an in depth understanding of light, atmosphere and space.
String Bikinis depicts two girls wading
into the sunlit water. Their body language suggests the girl’s apprehension.
Cat's Quilt captures light so bright
that details on the quilt are washed out. The quilts multifaceted pattern is
tastefully situated in the narrow space between the light and shadow.
Honorable Mentions include Gail MacArgel’s Oriental Décor and Kathy Pollack’s Foggy Morn.
Oriental Décor is a formal still life composition containing
decorative objects including a jade horse. MacArgel creates a quiet order and
pays great attention to surface texture.
Foggy
Morn captures a moment in time and the weather conditions are convincing.
Pollack’s sensitive handling of a stately home cloaked in fog stands out for
its soft edges and spatial atmospherics.
Works by local artist deserve special mention.
Gary Preston’s The Road Home. The
landscape is romantic and invites the viewer to appreciate the wonder of
nature.
Edward E. Pauley
