Hi, all, especially Connie - thanks so much for yesterday's podcast. EXTREMELY helpful!
I have a conundrum in presenting my artwork to jurors in that the absolutely unique feature of my paintings is that I incorporate poems and stories directly into the images themselves -- using the written word as a separate medium.
But the handwriting is actually what makes up the lines themselves... which means that it's extremely small and can only be seen close-up.
So from a distance you see, for example, an image of a bouquet of flowers or a bird, but when you look closely you can read the poem.
I've learned at shows to display a magnifying glass in front of a piece so that show attendees can see that there's something they need to look more closely at. But in submitting applications, I don't know how to let jurors know what they're looking at without their reading my artist statement at the same time (sometimes they do, sometimes they don't).
If I can only submit four images, how can I present my work so the jurors can see both the overall picture AND the critical detail? Should I sacrifice the four-image "real estate" to presenting just two pieces, each with a full shot and a detail shot? That doesn't represent much of my body of work though...
PLEASE - any suggestions? I'm attaching an example of an older piece so you know what I'm talking about.. this one is not very big to begin with (8x10), so my larger pieces the trouble is compounded astromically! Thanks for any and all help.
Replies
At the St Louis mock jury presentation, a similar issue came up. The show organizers - and remember, it is ONE show - said they had no problem with a detail shot or with one photo that showed the overall piece and the detail, i.e., full frame on the top, detail below, or as a set-in.
From what I heard at the mock jury and on the wonderful, helpful podcast (thank you, Connie!), I'd say - call the show organizers and ask for their ideas!
One thing you need to do is make sure your artist statement specifies that there is calligraphy involved in your artwork. As for showing detail, it appears to be important in understanding your work.
One thing you can do is present three images plus a detail of a fourth so you are still presenting four different pieces. Another is a detail shot and include a picture of the full piece within the 1920 square image area. If so, make sure the detail is the larger image and the full piece is the smaller image on the side or in the corner. Both suggestions will help the jurors understand what they are looking at. Also make sure to read the application details to make sure two images in one isn't allowed.
Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
Thanks, Larry... yes I address the calligraphy in the statement, but I can't be sure jurors will hear it right up front so they know what they're looking at.
I like both suggestions... I've never seen a listing specifically address having two images in one. If it's not specified, is it kosher to do that in general? Seems like a dicey proposition, and would love to hear from anyone who has either tried that or juried that kind of image.
Cheers!
Carol
If they don't specify, like Lakefront specifies one piece per image, I'd go for it. But only one of your jury images should contain the detail, not all four. Otherwise it creates visual overload for the jurors and they won't get to evaluate all your images within the short period of time the images are projected. For monitor jurying, the jurors go at their own pace usually at home, so it can be more forgiving.
Larry Berman