[Woodcarver] Judging shows.

[Sylda]

I second this with emphasis.  Sometimes I can't see the forest for the
trees.  When Ivan says it, it is so obvious and clear & I couldn't even
think it let alone express it so it would make sense.  Thanks, again, Ivan.
Sylda Nichols
Leonardville, KS

On 9/16/04 12:01 PM, "Alex Bisso" <albisso at bresnan.net> wrote:

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> I just have to comment that I really like what Ivan said about this subject.
> Thanks again Ivan for another thoughful and soulful perspective.
> Alex Bisso
> Billings, MT
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: woodcarver-bounces at six.pairlist.net
> [mailto:woodcarver-bounces at six.pairlist.net]On Behalf Of Ivan Whillock
> Studio
> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2004 9:56 AM
> To: [Woodcarver]
> Subject: Re: [Woodcarver] Judging shows.
> 
> 
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> 
> I have two novel suggestions that fly against current thinking:
> 
> 1. Burn the judging standards for shows.   Admit from the outset that
> judging art is subjective.  Don't expect the judges to crawl out of their
> skins and become some sort of objective entities.  They are making
> subjective judgments that come from their souls.  There will be variations
> from judge to judge, show to show.  Rejoice in that.  In the cumulative
> effect hopefully many points of view will be represented and many styles of
> carving will, sometime throughout the series,  be represented--and
> honored--in the sequence of judges.
> 
> 2.  Carvers should not try to reach for some objective standard but should
> carve from their own souls, carve what they feel, carve what they want to
> express, smeary or neat, representative or abstract, carefully planned or
> spontaneous.  Don't carve for someone "out there" but for someone "in here."
> Realize that if you enter your piece in a show the process is going to be
> subjective, that taste varies from person to person, from year to year.  In
> art "winning" and "losing" are artificial constructs that work within the
> borders of the contest but have little meaning outside of it.  Monet "lost"
> in the 1874 Salon show but now stands among the greats in the history of
> art.
> 
> Open things up rather than close things down.  Rejoice in the differences
> rather than trying to standardize them.  Don't try to impose objective
> standards on what, by definition, is a subjective activity.
> 
> 
> Ivan Whillock Studio
> 122 NE 1st Avenue
> Faribault, MN 55021
> Visit my website at
> http://www.whillock.com
> Visit my Picturetrail album at
> http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=ivancarve
> 
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