Art Show Categories

gggraph · Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:44 am Post subject: Art Show Categories

Hi all. I'm on the committee for a local art show, which has entries categorised in the traditional way: Oil/Acrylic, Watercolour, Pastel, Drawing etc. Last year, the judge felt there should be an award for Contemporary Art as well. This was raised at a meeting last night and was put on hold as none of us (particularly me) knew what we were talking about. So I'm asking you:

Should Contemporary Art have its own category at an art show?

If so, should it be up to the artist to enter it specifically as a contemporary work, or the judge to decide?

The categories at our show will be left as is for the 2009 show, with artists' comments being taken on board for the following ones.

I would value your thoughts.

Cheers

Grant

Stefan Maguran · Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:49 am Post subject: Re - Art Show Categories

To me, contemporary is an unfortunate word, as even recently dead artists will be contemporary, regardless of style, but this is just my personal opinion.

Jo Tyler · Joined: 13 Aug 2008 Posts: 489 Location: Newcastle

Hi Grant
I would think if the categories are based on medium and not style then no.
Jo

Steve Gray · Joined: 17 Aug 2008 Posts: 1569 Location: Geelong

yes I have seen TOO MANY tussles at are shows, and an outrage ensues... grr! so have a category for it, perhaps call it avante garde works or is that incorrect, because contemporary can be stretched... Confused

tricky question.

belle · Joined: 01 Oct 2006 Posts: 1016 Location: Newcastle

It is a difficult to categorize. Is a landscape which is realistically drawn but painted in unrealistic colours (a la Fauve- a style which is 100 yrs old) contemporary or traditional? I was told if it looks like something it should be in traditional. Others say that traditional should be an honest attempt to portray something as realistically as possible.
Traditional painters get upset if a prize is won by something "weird" and Contemporary artists feel they are often overlooked.
Neither term has a set definition and would have to be explained carefully in Terms and Conditions.
It is a real can of worms.
I would stick to media based myself.

AvG · Joined: 17 Sep 2005 Posts: 1912

If you don't know what it is how can you have a category for it?

Contemporary art may be executed in any media so if you had a category for watercolour and one for contemporary - where would you put Hazel Dooney or Fiona McMonagle?

Keep it to either medium. Or change your categories to 'realist' & 'abstract' or 'traditional' & 'contemporary' or 'figure', 'object' 'landscape' etc.

Tango · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 1360 Location: Melbourne

For years the ''Bayside Art Show'' as well as their traditional prize categories have had a prize for ''Contemporary Painting any medium ''

Chrissy D · Joined: 12 Jan 2006 Posts: 1053 Location: Queensland

I agree with everyone else...it is either one or the other meaning either style e.g. realism/abstract or medium e.g. oils/acrylics or subject matter e.g. landscapes/still lifes

I do sometimes worry when I enter comps thinking "did I enter it in the right section?" and if it gets rejected "was it because I entered it into the wrong section?"