summershelvedopener

At the Beach by Sarit Shopen

Welcome to What I Did Last Summer - The ArtisTTable's 30th exhibition! First off we want to thank not only the artists that have submitted their art to this show, but to all the hundreds and hundreds of artists that have been a part of all the previous exhibitions of the last five years.

Summer is always a favorite time of year. We go to the beach, family holidays and celebrate life in the great outdoors. Sunshine is always a welcome component of this great season.

The title of the exhibition perhaps all too obviously comes from essay assignment that every school kid gets his/her first week back to school. So, 'what did you do last summer?'

We want to thank our juror Luuk van de Klundert for the work that he has done by making the selections for this show. We always appreciate this service as it is not an easy thing to make certain decisions after reviewing all the submissions to such a show.

Luuk is an audiovisual artist and art teacher/mentor that lives and works in Utrecht, Netherlands. His work very often involves working in video, radio and music.

Juror's Notes:

First Place: My Landscape - Dita Jacobovitz

On the first hand the piece doesn’t ask for too much attention, but when you see it two or three times, you can’t really forget it, and it has found a special place.

I chose this work as my number one, because it has it’s own place. It’s neither figurative nor abstract, the lines have their own language and take you to a weird, unworldly place.

Second Place: Shivsap - Mario Atias

This work immediately stood out for me. You can directly see what is portrayed, but it’s not too on the nose or too clear.

I chose this work as my number two because of the specific style of drawing, which makes the work not just figurative, but also expressive. The work gives no context on where we are or on what we are seeing. That makes the work more than just a portrayal.

Third Place: Agvanana / Tomatnana - Omer Wissman

This work really throws you off when you see it for the first time. Also because I can’t understand the language, but also because of the differentiating nature.

This work is my number three, because of it’s anarchy, it’s weirdness, and simply, because it made me laugh. I like how simple tools were used to make a memorable image.

Honorable Mentions:

North Shore Boogie - Michael Hassig

I really loved the colors, the composition, and the energy of this work. You almost can’t see what materials were used, which makes the work unexpected.

Metamorphose - Marlen Ismalon

The contrast, colors, and surreal vibe of this piece is what really struck out to me. I have the feeling that I’m looking at a story, but I’m not sure where in the story I exactly am. Which is good!

Tuscana - Yoseffa Neuhauser

This is a really strong collage. The colors are bright, almost aggressive. The different parts go together very naturally, but it isn’t too logical or easy.

Abjectification - Ayala Reznik

I love the feeling of not knowing where you are, or what you’re seeing. This piece gives me that feeling. I like the contrasts of the hair, the water and the colors. It’s not a painting, but I think the artist almost approached it as such.

At the Beach - Sarit Shopen

This work gives a strong, recognizable feeling. The way the artist painted the work goes hand in hand with the meaning of the work. It’s funny in a way, but it’s also about something deeper.

Cheptandiau 2 - Roeli Rumschiedt

This work is like a breath of fresh air. It’s calming, quiet, and just very nice to look at. The colors the artist chose are really amazing, and make the piece more than a still life.

There are a few more awards we would like to present that will recognize a few more pieces of art and artists.

Portfolio Award: Paulo Carvalho

This award is designed to recognize an artist whose work that is submitted to our show is cohesive, perfectly executed, and that is so well thought out that it creates a new individual body of work with a meaningful visual statement.

These paints by Paulo hold together so well that they feel like we might actually be following the artist around as he paints these inviting summer views and locations.

Tali's Choice Award: Forest Creation - Gladisheva

Initially I am struct with the organic shapes of nature portrayed here, the strong tree shapes that can almost just as easily be human figures standing there against the distant horizon.

The manner in which the trees were painted provide a texture that contrasts so nicely with the distant grasses and is lit with what feels like that late afternoon, early evening sunlight we enjoy in summer.

Royce's Choice Award: Upheaval Undone - Signe Ruddy

The work that Signe submitted to the show are direct responses to situations that she was confronted with and lived through. This particular piece that includes a poem with a marker illustration.

The piece is about the upheaval of evacuation, in this case, the evacuation was due to a hurricane. I really appreciate the urgency to create in the face of disaster and that is shown in some way by the medium that was chosen for this piece.

What I Did Last Summer People's Choice Award: Yellow - Orit Bachrach

We would like to announce here that the winner of the People's Choice Award What I Did Last Summer is Orit Bachrach for her digital painting titled, Yellow. Thank you to those that voted in the People's Choice Award voting, it is exciting to see the participation that gives artists and their art this sort of recognition.

The artwork chosen to represent this exhibition is At the Beach by Sarit Shopen. This joyful painting gives us just about everything that we need to know about what summer is all about.

If you read this far, we thank you very much, we appreciate your interest and engagement in the arts and in particular the work that has taken to put this show together. We appreciate all the work by these artists in the show that have showed us through their creative process just a little bit of what summer means to them.

Now please Click Here and go enjoy What I Did Last Summer now.

What I Did Last Summer Exhibition Artists: