Art is a Competition?

N.B., Click on images to zoom.

'Dancers Preparing'
(Detail- see complete painting below)
Oil on Panel.
Selected for the final ten of the G25N Online Competition.
Click here for comments by other artists on this work, or to order cards/prints.

N.B., Click on images to zoom.

'Bikers at the Horseshoe Pass' 
(Detail- see complete painting below) Oil on Panel.
Selected for final ten of the G25N Online Competition.
Click here for comments by other artists on this work, or to order cards/prints.

I was chatting with a friend of mine recently, who comes to our Tuesday morning life-drawing, when we had just been looking at our group's work at the end of the session as we regularly do. 

He said to me, "It's good to see everyone's work, isn't it?" Then he said, quietly, as an aside, "...........of course, artists don't compete, - art isn't a competition, is it?..........Oh no?" as his eyebrow arched ironically. 

It was obviously something he had been thinking about.

And of course, we always maintain that art is not a competition. It's one of the high-minded givens, that artists produce their work to express themselves for purely personal motivations, or possibly with an altruistic nod towards a contribution to the wider culture; surely not for something as tawdry as competition, (or even financial gain?). 

And yet, we see competitions for artists everywhere we turn. Regional or national exhibitions of art usually have prizes for the works considered to be the pick of the show. 

I've always found that any artist lucky enough to get one of the prizes is usually pleased as punch, however much he or she would attempt to mask their pleasure with dismissive phrases such as "...these things are just a lottery, ....how can anyone really compare one work of art with another?", and so on.

Whenever I've won a prize, usually I feel undeniably pleased, ......however any feelings of satisfaction are tempered by the knowledge that any selection of one work above all the others can be determined by many arbitrary or abstruse factors, such as - the taste of the judges, the need to choose something different from last years winner, the size of the piece, the 'well we have to choose someone' consideration, etc.

On the other hand if I put something into a show and it doesn't win anything, then all those same arbitrary and ambiguous factors can be called into play to soothe any disappointment.

So although both pride in 'winning' or disappointment in 'losing' are arguably both misplaced in relation to art, nevertheless, in all honesty, we undoubtedly have these feelings.

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Now here's a slightly different (virtual) take on of all this. I was recently emailed an invitation to take part in an online competition which I decided to have a go at.

It cost, if I remember rightly, about fifteen quid to enter two pictures. I've just received an email which lets me know that the two paintings have been selected by their jury to appear in the gallery (of ten artists) which will appear on-line  on the 7th August. 

Here is their 'selected artists' page for their exhibition entitled 'Red' :

And here is their opening website page for access to their on-line galleries.

Now obviously, having entered, I am pleased that my stuff has been chosen for the final ten to appear in the gallery. 

However, along with the usual qualifying thoughts, (see above) there are also the various questions which arise in one's mind with this kind of virtual competition (prompted by ignorance I'm sure), such as; who are the judges?, (are they just three people in a small room somewhere with a couple of computers, making a living from the entry fees); how many artists applied, (......like Ten for example ?); what is the 'virtual footfall' to the exhibition (eleven?): why don't I just get on with painting?; and so on. . . 

Anyway, I had a go, so here are the pictures I entered .........

'Dancers Preparing' 

Oil on Panel.

This painting is currently on show in Cardiff.

'Bikers at the Horseshoe Pass'  

Oil on Panel.

25th July to 5th September

133rd Annual Summer Exhibition

of Academician’s works. 

The highlight of the year at the Royal Cambrian Academy, when most of the Academicians show, and is an opportunity to see and buy the wide variety of work being made in Wales.

(I have three oil paintings on show. Please drop in if you can).

Royal Cambrian Academy, Crown Lane, Conwy. LL32 8AN. 01492 593413

The Gallery is located in the centre of Conwy just off the High Street behind Plas Mawr.

The nearest train station is at Llandudno Junction, 3km from the Gallery and served by the North Wales Coast route. Services run approximately hourly throughout the week. The Arriva Cymru (service 5) bus stop is 200m away from the gallery and runs at 30 minute intervals on weekdays and hourly on Sundays.

             quiz  quiz quiz  quiz  quiz       “details, details............”    quiz  quiz  quiz  quiz  quiz          

What's happening here, and who painted it?

(The answer will be in the next posting.)

And here's the answer from the last posting -

'View of Toledo'  

by El Greco, 1597, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

             quiz  quiz quiz  quiz  quiz       “details, details............”    quiz  quiz  quiz  quiz  quiz          

"Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not the sitter." 

Oscar Wilde, 'The Picture of Dorian Gray.'

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