Juror's Statement
THE MAY 2003
ALL-MEDIA MEMBERSHIP SHOW
I am looking for works that demonstrate a unique creative energy; searching for an ambiguous and charged relationship between object and space. In short, something I haven't seen before presented in a unique way.
CLIFFORD CHIEFFO
Professor and Curator Emeritus
Georgetown University
Juror's Dialogue
by Pat Gerkin
Clifford Chieffo, juror for the May All-Media Membership Show, brings extensive curatorial and jurying experience to The Art League. He is an Emeritus Professor of Art at Georgetown University and continues to be involved in The Art League and Torpedo Factory jurying processes. When asked about his own vibrant art style, he quips, "Well, Marc Chagall meets Larry Rivers on a large scale." His love of color and vibrancy is evident in the show he has selected this month.
True to his teaching background, Chieffo departed from the norm and dictated notes to be placed on most of the rejected pieces-an incredible learning tool for our members. He also made an occasional comment on accepted pieces. "Usually I know when the artist knows what he or she is doing when they add just the right stroke, and I wanted to acknowledge it," he said. His selection process is to look for unique, creative energy; an ambiguous and charged relationship between the subject and its spaces; and for a surprise or something that he has not seen before. He looks for growth and asks, "Are the artists pushing themselves, taking risks, or are they resting on their laurels? Due to our space limitations, he noted that some really good art was not included.
Watercolor: "My observation is that there are few truly superior watercolors in this show. The numbers submitted are about the same, but the quality is not at the same skill level as in previous exhibitions. 4-5 years ago, the watercolors were almost all superior. Today, there are fewer in that category and the rest are at a somewhat lower skill level. That was a surprise for me."
Photography: "The photography was ok, but none of the photographs really jumped off the page. They were, however, very good, professional photos. I always ask myself, 'What would MOMA or the Corcoran buy?" I didn't find unique images or a clear voice of what the artists were trying to say with their photos. I was a little disappointed that I did not see much digital art. If it is the newest medium, I want to see the artists lead the way toward developing the new aesthetic."
Drawing: "I saw at least a half dozen that were really professional."
Printmaking: "This was a relatively small group of submissions. Fewer than I expected."
Collage: "There weren't many collages, and all were ok, but I drew the line at ones that were too precious or rarefied. By that I mean that the challenge to the artist was gone."
Pastels: "These were also fewer in number, but what was submitted was very good. Watercolors and pastels have been the mainstay of The Art League shows in the past. The quality of the pastels is still very high.
"Observations: "I noticed what I perceived to be a new influx of ethnicity in the submissions-Chinese, Tibetan, Eastern Europe. I saw Czech and Russian villages and Bavarian influences, etc. Quite likely that reflects the changing profile of the art community at The Art League. These submissions have a different aesthetic, and it is very difficult to fit them into what we are accustomed to seeing.
"When we see a traditional Chinese ink drawing, we know that part of the aesthetic is to come as close to a traditional master as is humanly possible. And there is a reverence that is part of that aesthetic. Here in America, we cut our teeth on breaking the mold and being unique, particularly since the 50s. When I am judging one of these ethnic submissions I have to look for what this process is bringing to the marketplace that has not been seen. A good example of the Americanization or breaking into a personal style of one of these works is the work by Liang Wei. It has an absolutely perfect, traditional technique combined with an impeccably unique voice."
Sculpture: "Sculpture traditionally has the least submissions. It is much harder to be a good sculptor than to be an ok painter. The raku submissions were new for me. I had not seen them here before. I chose a small raku piece for a merit award (L. Schumaier). It was quite beautiful. Wood sculpture is still the strongest in sculpture, followed by figurative modeling. However, the figurative modeling is still too close to the classroom assignment piece."
Abstract/Representational: "There were excellent abstract painters and excellent representational painters. They seem to be moving on parallel tracks. I'm looking for something that challenges what the artist did before (If I know their earlier work). Connie Slack's work is a good example of progression."
Award winners: "The first prize is an impeccably put together painting of nuanced color. It is a perfect tribute to Bonnard and company. The patterns are lovely, and the scrapes and highlights are perfectly done (R. Clinard). The ferris wheel painting is a good example of terrifically consistent work, painting after painting. That is one of the main attributes of good work (B. Januskewicz). The small black and white geometric monotype has terrific expressive power that belies its diminutive size (J. Madison). The oil/pastel portrait of a man has a lot of power (A. Edmondson). The image overwhelms the viewer and has a greater effect than simply a picture of the subject. A lot of portrait work never gets past the subject. The watercolor of the pears, well.... gimme a break. What's not to like? The discipline of it is just amazing (J. Sayles). The watercolor of the apples is alluring for the opposite reason. I like it because it is loose and has good old-fashioned kinetic energy (B. Gasque)."
Advice to artists: "Those that are in must never rest easy. As much as possible, artists must avoid repeating themselves. I realize that there is a Torpedo Factory Syndrome-artists are afraid to experiment because the work may not sell. This dilemma is unique to this place, but artists should not be afraid to stretch.
"Those that did not get in fell into three categories: 1.) The painting was ok, but it was not competitive for this particular venue. (This is a very high-level show.) This was the biggest category. 2.) The painters were fairly competent, but the piece may have had one or two mistakes. For these, whenever possible, I drew attention to the mistake and had a note attached to instruct the artist. 3.) People submit classroom assignments that are immediately recognizable as studio pieces. The artist needs to go beyond that and transcend the appearance of a studio piece (at least for this show)."
"While I will not give art lessons, I am open to answering anything that may be puzzling an artist about this exhibition," Chieffo says.
Advice to The Art League: "Get more space. Or, maybe it is time to look at how the room is divided. One or two big walls in front would be nice and wall risers in the second room between the windows would allow large pieces to be exhibited."
This page was last updated 05/16/2003.