Juror's Statement
THE AUGUST 2001
AMERICAN LANDSCAPE SHOW
Once again, I'm impressed by the talent, the industry, the vision of those who entered. It made choosing this show a great pleasure!
Howard E. Paine
Former Designer for National Geographic Magazine
Juror's Dialogue
by Pat Gerkin
The 2001 American Landscape Show is a lovely array of landscapes, large and small, fresh and new, and chosen with meticulous care by Howard E. Paine. Mr. Paine is an accomplished designer who has had a distinguished career at National Geographic, has taught and lectured, and has jurored and curated many shows. He has jurored shows for The Art League several times and notes that the entries are basically unchanged except that there are more entries that are digital or have some digital input.
Paine says that he chooses a show based on the following principles:
(1) "I choose what I like best. That may seem like an arrogant statement, but I have looked at millions of images over the years and have developed a pretty good eye for what works and what doesn't."
(2) "Fresh new statements, surprises. I do not like to see the same old hackneyed cliches."
(3) "Competence. I like to see that someone handles light, composition, and subject matter with competence and skill in that medium."
(4) "Some measure of complexity. I like to see complexity, detail, information, whether it is the bark of a tree, feathers on a bird, petals on a flower, or signs in a streetscape. It is great when you learn something new from the work."
"People sometimes ask me how I can judge work so quickly? But if we are flipping through a magazine, we are judging every image that we see until one grabs us. When I choose a show, I want to be fair to every artist who has submitted work, but I also want to choose a good show because my name is on it and I want it to reflect my best instincts."
A few guidelines on what makes Howard Paine reject a piece of art:
(1) "When the drawing, color, and composition just doesn't hold together. Art is like a piece of music. It must hold together or it is cacophony."
(2) "Raw color. I like bright and bold color, but when it is raw and discordant, it is likely to be rejected."
(3) "Framing. If the framing is amateurish, cheap, or out of place, then the artist may not understand the wholeness of art. The frame and how it is presented is part of the whole work."
(4) "Hackneyed. I don't like to see the same old barn from the same old angle. If work seems like a cliche, it is not fresh and new. It has no surprise."
Some specifics about the various media:
Watercolor: "The watercolor submissions showed some very competent handling. There were some very beautiful skies and boats, and nice handling of snow and leaves."
Canvas: "I chose a lot of realism, because that is my prejudice. Maybe it is because of my background in journalism. I like straightforward realism. I also like abstracts. They are colorful, mysterious, and they catch you intellectually. I can't rationalize abstract art. I see mystery and uncertainty. I keep returning to it, and I see different things."
Collage: "I love collage. I love the way that Kurt Schwitters pulled things together and made his constructions. There were very few collages submitted, but I really liked the small, intricate construction (S. Yurdin) and the wonderful little collage with the stamp (J. Coady)."
Photographs: "I didn't choose many photographs. A lot were submitted, but I don't think that the photographs should take over the show. Many of them did not stand up to their competition. Many of them are Iris, giclee, or some other form of replication."
"Every year I am impressed by the talent, energy, and variety that you come up with in these shows. The artists are looking at landscapes from a lot of points of view. For example, one of the award winners is a brooding seascape that looks almost abstract (T. Betts). Another abstract painting is almost calligraphic, like a dance (C. Rupp). The work horses are wonderfully done. I see different patterns in the harnesses. Every time I look I see something different (A. Hill). Several of the paintings are reminiscent of former masters such as Winslow Homer (P. Cook) and Wayne Thibeaux (O. Tyburski).
"The top award winner (L. Wei) is a remarkable piece. It's more than just the birds, though. It's the rhythm of the birds and the white surf. And it's thedaunting task of painting all the birds. I also like the square. There is tension in the square."
Advice to Artists: "Keep working. Keep working on your vision. Find new things to paint. Keep working on your technique, and on promoting your art."
Advice to The Art League: : "It would be nice to have a bigger gallery. But overall, keep up the good work. The Art League does a super job. "
This page was last updated 08/10/2001.