Monday, September 26, 2016

Judges


I regularly enter my work in competition with other local artists -- mostly in the Art League of Bonita Springs. Many of the shows have a theme. For example the latest, September "16 was Geometric and Organic. Just up my street I hear you say. So I entered my large Owl and Daydreamer, both of which are drawn Geometrically but with an Organic subject. Result -- no prize of any kind, total failure.
Oh well.
Previous shows this year have recognised my geometric works but they didn't have eyes. Eyes are just my latest thing. They give my geometric abstracts some life and a little humor. But the judges either don't like them or don't understand what I am trying to say. I have often noticed that art judges
like last year's work and can't deal with today's. If I enter Indians for next year's shows I might win but by then I will be drawing something else.
All the artists I admire change their work every few years, producing better work. But when the new work appears their critics don't like the new stuff having only just got used to the previous stuff!
Examples; David Hockney, Damian Hearst and even Pablo Picasso, all suffered from this problem.
Not that I compare myself to these greats, but I work with my latest ideas whether appreciated or not.
So there!







Three of my latest to prove the point. Chief, My Magic Shield and Swirl. My current drawings show a tendency to be without eyes so who knows what my critics will make of that.