I used to think if I was ever to judge an art
show I would try to decide how much time was put into the work. That
approach
assumes that I would know the techniques necessary to execute each
piece, as
well as skills that the artist has developed over time. Of course, to
have that
depth of understanding is impossible. Each piece of work is a
representation of
the artist's full life experiences. That kind of dedication cannot be
quantified. In fact, 'quantifying' art is a fool's parade. So, before I came to this show I decided to
identify to myself what I was going to look for. I have listed them
here. I
don't pretend that this list is what constitutes 'good' art.
1. I want to see a mix of 'lost' and 'found'
lines. When the eye focuses on something close, objects in the
distance are
out of focus, and vice versa - like setting depth of field on a camera
lens. 2.
I want to see an imbalance, even a
dominating ratio in chroma range, value range, and the mixture
of shapes and lines. a) Mouse versus bright. Each piece using color has a range of chroma. I like to see most of that range to be what I call 'mousy' - low chroma, with high chroma becoming the accents. As a corollary to this, I prefer a simple palette.
b) I also am looking for the same ratio in the values - I will look for the ends of the value spectrum to be the accents.
c) Again, in the mix of shapes and lines - contours
and edges. 3. I want the work to attract me from a
distance. When I get close, I want it to reveal something new. Often this can just be texture, or subtle
variations in an otherwise monochrome area. 4. Finally, I will look for emotion,
though I'm not sure how I will recognize it. I hope it will just
happen. Art
should be subtle yet daring; humble but assertive. It needs to have the
randomness of nature and the emotion of being human. It should always
try to
make the viewer see something that isn't there - whether emotional or
physical.
Does the piece make me want to talk to the artist about it? Most of these points do not apply well to 3D art
forms. I have zero references for
judging these. I'll bring a coin. Anyone displaying
their art is brave. Art is a personal
expression. The only honest feedback you can get from your art is what
IT gives
you, not what someone else thinks of it. What I choose to award is not
a
reflection on your art or style - it is a reflection on me. MYSELF. I've
been an artist at heart since I was very
young, but pursued a more lucrative direction and ended up in the
sciences. My brain moved from right to
left somewhere in
my 20's. I've been trying to derail it in the other direction ever
since I
retired. It's not easy at my age. I have
abandoned realism with watercolor and tried to find my other track with
total
abstraction. My goal is to let the
unique characteristics of watercolor pigments direct my art. I feel a need to maintain randomness, yet let
my math and engineering side influence that randomness.
Refusing to rely on a pre-visualized image
has been very liberating. Each day of play seems to bring me a little
closer to
my sane side. Or is it old age? The point is simple - Do art for
YOURSELF! |