" Some Reached Conscious Thought " by Tony Heaver-Wren

Advice From An Art Competition Judge

Decisions made by art competition judges are circumstantial, subjective, and completely different than those made by gallery owners or their clients. They depend on the circumstances of the particular judging process -- who is invited to serve on the jury of acceptance and/or awards, how the judges are asked to make their selections, whether there is a theme or objective established by the organizers, and how the prizes are structured.

People who are asked to be art competition judges are usually people who look at artwork all day long as part of their job. They are art magazine contributors and editors, art educators, critics, entrepreneurs or artists. They are likely to respond positively to artwork that is unusual or exceptional, not expected or popular. The artwork they select for an exhibition or a prize is probably one that is not very saleable. Collectors tend to buy what is safe, typical, pretty, and comfortable, whereas judges who are rushing through hundreds of slides or digital images will stop to examine pictures that are different and unexpected. Furthermore, subtle and intriguing images are best appreciated when viewers have time to look at them -- something that is not likely to happen when a judge can only look at a projected image for 20 seconds.

Judges are usually most critical of the artwork that is similar to what they sell in their galleries, write about for publications, or create in their own studios. For example, those who paint oil landscape will apply higher standards when they judge oil landscape than when they evaluate jewelry or photographs; and a dealer who sells contemporary artwork will be more critical of the abstract paintings submitted in a competition than they will be of representational images. Their opinions are more clearly defined, and they worry about endorsing pictures that don't meet their high standards.

Knowing all this, how can an artist decide which shows to enter and which pictures to submit to the competition? Let me offer a few words of advice:

1. Read the prospectus carefully to make sure you understand what the competition organizers are looking for and how they want entries to be submitted.

2. Review the digital images of your artwork as quickly as the judges will see them. Find out how accurate the images of your work are, and how quickly someone else can understand and appreciate your work.

3. Ask for the opinion of other artists, a dealer, or a teacher who can be objective in evaluating your work. You may be too close to your own work to select the best pieces to enter in a competition.

4. Don't assume that judges will respond more favorably to artwork they collect or create. You may have a better chance of getting into the show if the judge's work is completely different from your own.

5. Submit work that is consistent in terms of subject and style. Don't make the mistake of submitting "something for everyone" because judges will be confused or will think you don't have a focus.

6. Enter as many images as you can so the judges have a chance to see that you are consistently good at what you do.

7. Remember that judging art is a completely subjective process and what one judge careers.

Other artists have indicated that their dealers were able to use the news about winning an art competition to help sell artwork to collectors. The judgment of experts helps confirm that the artist's pictures have merit and are worth the prices being charged by the gallery. I have commissioned a number of articles on artists I learned about through competitions -- either the ones I judged, or those judged by others that were documented in a catalog or on a website. The published articles became useful promotional tools for the artists and were distributed to prospective collectors as reprints or were posted in their entirety on the artist's website.

Though the results of art contests are hard to predict, don't give up just because your favorite painting was rejected. It may win the "Best of Show" prize in the next competition you enter.

Source: M. Stephen Doherty; Editor-in-chief of American Artist, Watercolor, Drawing, and Workshop magazines.

"Crucified" by Tony Heaver-Wren

An Interview With The Artist: Tony Heaver-Wren

MOCA :When did you first realize you are an artist?

H-W: I think most of us are artists in some way or other, in the sense that we usually carry around with us an urge to live creatively and to express what we intuitively sense to be in us. For me, this is why art is so powerful because, regardless of the medium, it has the power to resonate incredibly deeply with people that do not necessarily paint, draw or actively create art but who have the same basic spiritual and emotional need for creative expression, for connection and meaning. In holding onto and nurturing that need, each one of us is an artist-in-waiting, whether practicing or not.

For me, I discovered digital art about 8 or 9 years ago as digital processes entered the mainstream. As a person with the drawing and painting ability of a Jersey cow, and having no musical ability whatsoever (despite passionate love of a wide spectrum of music), it was a joy to find a medium as incredibly accessible as digital art, as a vehicle for self-expression and gleeful amusement through art.

MOCA: Tell us about your work?

H-W: In terms of method and pre-occupations, it's all about transformation, about freedom through transformation. I have often come to my artwork charged with angst or frustration or in inarticulate knots and the artistic process unwinds all of that, burns it as fuel and plays a part in the finished product. To take a source image or images, completely unremarkable in themselves and to transform them into something that evokes a reaction (in me and others) is very satisfying. Often, when selecting textures to work with, a subject, theme, mood or composition is immediately suggested to me and I set to work on a particular path. But even with the strongest sense of where I'm heading with a piece, the number of variables and combinations that I will experiment with leave the final result open to limitless possibilities. This complete creative freedom in the method is a constant source of inspiration to try things I've never done before and to create artwork that is a unique blend of disparate elements. More than anything - it's fun!

MOCA: What inspires you?

H-W: Obviously, I am not a painter in the traditional sense, thought light, colour, composition, texture are at play in my digital art. I find people endlessly fascinating; in particular the balance (or imbalance) between an individual's sense of themselves and the world and the importance of the individual to collective identity and meaning. There is a convenience to self-portrait artwork as well as the fascination of "who is this person that I spend all of my time with" that keeps me coming back to it, but it is always as a jump-off point into more universal and collective questions, states of being and struggles. I always feel that there is a profound grace in human experience taken as a whole, despite the darkness and disaster and despair that can grip the world and individual lives. To me, Art has the ability to touch and even distill that grace, no matter what the immediate technique, subject or mood. What further inspiration could one hope for?

MOCA: Are there other artists that have influenced you, and how?

H-W: For a time I was an active member of the Flickr community and was privileged to be immersed in the artwork of some amazingly gifted people, too numerous to mention. While I have favourites among classic artists (for example, Marc Chagall) I am extremely eclectic in my tastes and influences. I don't consciously try and emulate anyone else's work but even the most unique art is derived from a complex composite of influences, experiences and impulses and all of it comes to bear on the work that I do, in some way or other.

MOCA: What do you do for fun (besides digital art)?

H-W: I write poetry and love photography and music. So often these strands are intertwined and when I complete a piece of visual artwork it always feels like a synthesis of the music, thought and responses to experience that buzz around me constantly. Spending time with my favourite 3 human beings, my wife and 2 children, also rates pretty highly!

MOCA: How do you keep motivated when things get tough?

H-W: I suppose the inspiration is the 'great unstated' within that needs expression, demands it. There are frustrating times, occasionally, when it just doesn't happen where I do have an idea of what I want but it just won't translate, but more often than not, the process is in itself something that I get lost in and if a finished work takes longer to emerge than I am accustomed, then it is all the more satisfying when it does. Many of my images have song lyrics as titles. Rarely has a visual piece not been connected with music of personal importance to me. It's a bit like the connection between reading and cinema I suppose, in that the imaginative experience of following a fictional narrative is like an inward screening of a film for one. I usually have music prominently playing while making my images and a edgy lyric or a crescendo/delicacy of sound often feeds into what I am working on. Music relieves us of all that is not us, refines and replenishes us and I find a similar relief with visual art - it unburdens and liberates, giving a sense of being freed for new states of mind and being and of being more than the simply the sum of past selves.

The process of creating is exciting and fulfilling in itself, like setting out on an impulsive journey with no idea where you are headed and like feeling that you have complete freedom from the pre-determined banality that can beset our lives. The 'suspension' of self in the process of creating something that is quite exhilarating. Iggy Pop described that state in an interview in which he defended the creative energies that went into his (and others' music) - Iggy says it better than I can:
I'll tell you about punk rock: punk rock is a word used by dilettantes and, uh... and, uh... heartless manipulators, about music... that takes up the energies, and the bodies, and the hearts and the souls and the time and the minds, of young men, who give what they have to it, and give everything they have to it...I don't know Johnny Rotten... but I'm sure, I'm sure he puts as much blood and sweat into what he does as Sigmund Freud did.

You see, what, what sounds to you like a big load of trashy old noise... is in fact... the brilliant music of a genius... myself. And that music is so powerful, that it's quite beyond my control. And, ah... when I'm in the grips of it, I don't feel pleasure and I don't feel pain, either physically or emotionally. Do you understand what I'm talking about? Have you ever, have you ever felt like that? When you just, when you just, you couldn't feel anything, and you didn't want to either. You know, like that? Do you understand what I'm saying, sir?

MOCA: How have you handled the business side of being an artist?

H-W: To date my digital art has been solely an individual pursuit squeezed in around day-job and family commitments. I admire people who can walk the line to find commercial applications for their art, but equally, its value for me is ultimately elsewhere.

MOCA: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? H-W: Being 10 years older and having found a way to make my creative interests a bigger and more integral part of my life.

MOCA: What are you working on at the moment?

H-W: I am interested in possible fusions between my various interests, poetic and literate, photographic and visual art. Thoughts in progress!

MOCA:What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?

H-W: Forget pre-conceived notions. Dabble, experiment, throw yourself in. Reading up and practicing techniques is great, but the business of getting your hands dirty and doing it is the most important. Above all, enjoy it!

See more of Tony's art here -- MOCA's Open Gallery

Do you live in the Greater NYC Area? If so, The MOCA Virtual Museum and Gallery could use your help! Volunteer at our Brooklyn NY gallery location and you can enter a piece of your art in the next contest for FREE! For additional information contact us at MOCA.Virtual@yahoo.com or send us a comment below.

"Worry" by Tony Heaver-Wren

In-Box In Response to "You Be The Judge!" --

Submitted by lamb (aka PJBanks) (lamb_bi_nature@yahoo.com) on Sunday, March 14 --
Comment: Regarding "You be the Judge" Aaahh, but for the chance to be the judge. Thank you for opening this little avenue Mary. Yes, I agree each Judge brings their own talents and perspective to the table, and it is most respected by all, that they are brave enough to stand in judgment of others art. It's a very sensitive and emotional topic for many, especially artists. I applaud them for their Bravery. I am also chomping at the bit to say my choice in this matter. I found one piece that, to me, stood out and spoke to the traditional artist, digital artist, and art appreciator in me. I found Shige Yamada's piece, "Nest" to be exquisite from a traditional artist and digital artist point of view. Everything in the picture meshes perfectly. The colors blend well and compliment each other, the composition itself draws you into it. It is balanced in all respects and executed with precision yet artistic fervor. The piece maintains a mystery that also draws one in through it's background application with little symbols of some kind, blurred yet obvious to the eye. One can only guess at what they say or mean. All in all, I find this work, an excellent piece of Fine Art. I pose another question, one I struggle with, I wish for my art to be considered fine art no matter what the media I choose to do it in. Often times, I find myself falling into the mind set of an illustrator or designer when I am doing my digital manipulation paintings. I find that I am comparing my work to other digital artists instead of doing and presenting my own ideas and ways to achieve my goals. In other words I must constantly remind myself that my main goal is to be a Master of Fine Art. Not that all my works of art are fine art. Sometimes if falls short of the goal, but that is the nature of being an artist. I do not wish to appear to play down the fine art of illustrating and designing, for a fine artists is definitely both of these. I sometimes think we all should remind ourselves of our goals as fine artists and call ourselves thus. I get lost in the design or illustration aspect when my main goal is to do Fine Art. Perhaps we all should refer to ourselves as Fine Artist instead of Digital Artist or Digital Manipulators or such, for that is what we are. We are Fine Artists working in the media called digital or computer designing etc. And don't let the traditional art world tell you any different, we simply use different tools. If my perspective is askew someone set me straight but that is how i feel about it. Sincerely, lamb (aka PJBanks)

***** Submitted by Serge (sb-port@yandex.ru) on Monday, March 15
You want to find creation in itself - the answer, do everything incorrectly! Because it is correct, it means already it was [it already exists]. Search for your way, your vision, and do not think about anything else.

***** We are grappling with [how to judge art] where I am. I formed a Photography Salon at the Atlanta Artists Center, (AAC) which is the oldest and largest art group in Atlanta and this year we will take our big photography show to an outside gallery. The rules of AAC state 1,2,3 and Honorable Mentions at the discretion of the judge. Many of our artists/photographers, however, prefer Merit Awards only, at the discretion of the judge. This gives the judge leeway, if only two are exceptional, then he/she gives two ribbons; if six are exceptional, then six. However, many people wish we would not give awards at all, because they feel that the judges always pick the same people or the same type of work. We avoid that by having different judges for each show. I feel that awards are one way to reward talent; the competition gives us all something to strive for and celebrate; and it keeps the creative juices flowing. Cash or in kind prizes are always appreciated. --The AAC has a credentialing process which is very strict: you must be accepted into so many juried shows, with jurors of a specified caliber; there must be cash awards; there must be a low acceptance rate (I think it’s only 1/3 can be accepted) for the show; before you can count it toward the credentialing process. Not many photographers go for this because not enough of our outside shows meet the requirements. If we compete in the shows at the AAC gallery, we are competing with all the other forms of art, including 3-dimentional, so a lower number of digital based works get in. -- My favorites????....I gave a speech recently at the AAC membership meeting wherein I surveyed the various types of digital work being done. I used part of Don’s article on demographics at MOCA and one of my points was that there is Sooooooooo much good work being produced these days, it’s really mind boggling. So, it’s really hard to pick favorites, because, to my mind, most of the digital work is exceptional. And I like different things about different works. www.HGAYALLEN.com

***** Submitted by Jan Kölling (jankolling@casema.nl) on Sunday, March 21
Comment: To quote --"And, while I have been attracted to the high contrast and color saturated photos there has always seemed to be something about the overall composition that did not work for me. With this set of three entries from Kölling, I think I can put my finger on this by saying that what I missed was white space. There was little breathing room in those previous pieces. However, these entries are loaded with compositional space, perhaps swinging a bit too far in the opposite direction, but with these I think Jan Kölling has hit upon some new ideas that will bear future fruit. Ironically, I chose “Slice Your Grip” (the one piece among the current entries which has the least white space… go figure) as my favorite Kölling in this exhibit" It's always great to experience a positive approach to one’s work, especially when the work is created a few years ago. In this context however, I think I really should get worried now because it would mean that I got stuck in a "kitchen sink approach" instead of developing "a more mature awareness of composition". Thank God I'm always able to "Slice my Grip" and find some White (or Black)- space whenever I think that's demanded by Process. "No Guru, No Teacher, No Method",- let's not get trapped in the word game,- try to keep walking on the water and to cross the Borders of the "well known".

Notices:

Check out Claudio Braier’s digital artwork at this collective exhibition in Paris!
La belle Villoise

Dear Ricardo Szekely and Adolfo Farias -- Tell us more about “Linked-In!”

This page posted 22 March 2010
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