People Are People Juror's Statement

Figure drawing! What a noble endeavor! I once heard a quote ‘If you can draw the figure
you can draw anything’. Now there is a fine quest!

It was a pleasure to view all this work for the People Are People Show. As a juror I
needed to consider three things in the images -knowledge of rendering the figure,
-understanding of the medium used -and then these skills need to be applied to the figure
to convey perhaps a thought, feeling or idea. I’m looking for images that communicate
something visually. After all the theme of the show begs for more than just an accurate
rendering of the figure.

The First Place Award certainly demonstrates all three criteria well. The woman putting
on her lipstick in the bathroom mirror is beautifully portrayed and really occupies this
crammed full space. We are able to look around and through this mundane space and we
begin to see a narrative. The viewer can become engaged in reading the figure and image
and more.

The Second Place Award is a visual surprise. I like surprises in my art. Show me
something different. Show me how you see the world. Again fine skill is demonstrated in
this concealed figure under the covers but also simple collage techniques put a clever spin
on the idea presented. And Yea for artist’s statements! Here the statement adds a further
thought provoking angle to this image.

And I like humor as in the Third Place Award. But this veiled figure with the comical
fake glasses/mustache takes on an edginess as the viewer ponders current societal issues
in the news. Such well considered ideas presented in the artist’s statement have got to be
a selling point for any potential buyer.

Thanks for sharing your art with me and thanks to Royce for creating this venue.
It’s a pleasure to work with the good guys.
And for those who gasp at the mention of figurative art…FEAR NO ART.

- Sheila Stafford