Juror's Statement
THE SEPTEMBER 2003
ALL MEMBERSHIP SHOW
It is always difficult to select a show when so much is worthy of commendation. In the end, numerous works that I wanted to recognize were not included due to space limitations. The very great number of Art League artists who have reached such a high level of professional competency impresses me. This show has a tremendous amount of vitality and energy.
As a teacher, I want to encourage the artist to push his/her creative limits, to produce new and innovative work rather than being satisfied with a pleasant representation of a scene or image. Follow your comfort level, but try to say something different and unique.
I continue to be particularly impressed by The Art League and its longevity. It is working extremely well, and continues to be an invaluable constant in the Washington D.C. arts community.
DUNCAN TEBOW
Juror's Dialogue
by Binaifer Davar
Duncan E. Tebow-painter, sculptor, and teacher, juried this month's All-Media Membership Show. Tebow says, "I am impressed by the number of Art League artists who have reached a level of professional competency."
When asked if he discovered surprises in the show, he answered, "I was surprised by the high-quality of the abstracts. I had thought that artists were turning away from abstracts. As an abstract artist, it was particularly heartening to see the strong interest in abstracts. I particularly liked their vitality and energy."
Selection process: Tebow is a decisive and experienced juror who says, "In a member organization, such as The Art League, I try to select a mix of media, subject matter, and approaches to art making. I also look for evidence of the artist's involvement with the meaning of the work. I try to find underlying content that more greatly informs the viewer. In choosing the show, I go one-on-one with the individual artwork. I am a formalist who looks for composition, spatial relationships or design, and new approaches.
"I noticed that Art League artists are well versed in their media. Having said that, I also noticed less interest in new approaches. The images were enjoyable and well-composed but not novel.
"In choosing the award winners, I looked for the novel or unexpected. For The Simkin Award, I chose an oil painting of a drummer in a blue sweater (P. Coultier) that had tremendous vitality and personality. For the other awards, I chose works where the artist was not merely duplicating a scene or the natural world, but somehow transforming it. I think I chose an interesting mix of realistic and abstract work. I made a point of giving honorable mentions to two large works (A. Hill and E. Zaret), as these require a certain commitment and energy which should be applauded. In the oil painting with the blue sky (E. Zaret), I was particularly taken with the dynamism of the swirling clouds."
Drawing: "In a substantial minority. By its nature, drawing is quiet and intimate, and does not stand out in an all-media show. But the colored pencil drawing (M. McGurk) of a classical female is reminiscent of a 19th century drawing."
Watercolor: "I was impressed by the mastery of technique of the watercolorists. In the purple and yellow landscape (J. Antico), the upper portion of the fields is flattened to such a degree that it almost thrusts out at the viewer. Although the watercolorists seem to turn towards traditional themes, such as seascapes and landscapes, I found a nice variety in the watercolors, from realism, to impressionism, to expressionism."
Photography: "As a photography teacher, I see a plethora of photography in our culture. In this sense, it is hard for a juror not to see good photography. While the technical level is good, and I see a blurring of lines between traditional prints and digital photography, the creative element is not outstanding."
Printmaking: "Very few." I was surprised by a well-conceived silkscreen (N. McIntyre) which uses split fountain application to establish a gradient of tones in the broad color areas. I particularly like the resultant tonality of the water."
Sculpture: "While I was gratified to see the sculpture and pleased with the technical ability of the sculptors, the sculptures were not as creative as the paintings."
Paintings and Collage/Mixed Media: "I did not really make a distinction between paintings and mixed-media. The difference between media was not a deciding factor for me. The oil on canvas board (K. Vaitiskis) of the planes in front of planes looks like a blanket hanging with no means of support. It is a very interesting abstraction with hints of the surreal. I thought the oil painting of the white dog (N. Asselin) was quirky and amusing, as was the collage and acrylic with the birds and frogs (J. Goodkind). And I liked the paper and acrylic with white strings on the surface (J. Garant)."
Pastel: "While the artists displayed confident handling of the media, in general the pastels did not rise to the level of the rest of the work."
"I would characterize this as a show with vitality and energy."
Advice to artists: "I want the artist to push his/her creative limits, to produce new and innovative work rather than being satisfied with a pleasant representation of a scene or image. Follow your comfort level, but try to say something different. As a teacher, I want to encourage artists rather than to impose my own philosophy or dialectic. "
Advice to The Art League: "I am impressed by The Art League and its longevity. It is working extremely well, and has become a constant in the Washington, D.C. arts community."
This page was last updated 09/07/2003.