Amid the wealth of abstraction in our July All-Media Exhibit, juror Jerry Coulter selected one piece for best in show: a photograph masquerading as a painting. The photo, Clyfford Still’s Latch by Blair Jackson, was awarded the Larry Kirstein Award for best in show. Coulter said of the piece: “This photograph is a complete statement. The composition has a totality of subtlety. Every part contributes to the whole. The photographic surface is so slick, yet the impact is so textural.”
Complete statement or no, we asked Blair to tell us more about her photography and her drawing (she is President of the Metropolitan Washington Colored Pencil Society). Read our Q&A, below, and see the exhibit through August 5!
When and where was the photo taken? What caught your attention about the latch?
Blair Jackson: The photo was taken in Georgia in April 2012. It was in the rear of a shop of new and used furniture, leading out to an alley. I browsed around the shop, but the only thing that caught my eye was that door and latch. I fixated on the scene immediately.
What brought Clyfford Still to mind? Did that happen when you took the photo or looking at it later?
The name Clyfford Still’s Latch came about because the image looked to have been created with thick layers of paint applied with a palette knife, which was, of course, the artists’ signature style. It reminded me of a Clyfford Still color field painting from the 1940’s-60’s. Continue reading Q&A with Award Winner Blair Jackson
Sarah Dale is an emerging Alexandria artist who uses upcycled materials to experiment with color and visual elements. Her 3D pieces bridge the gap from painting to sculpture where she focuses on trying to find her own voice using color and form. Learn more on her 
