Exhibition Information
15th Juried Art Exhibition
This exhibition is open for applications from artists around the globe.
Welcome to the exhibition.
Each submission must be accompanied by a supporting statement that explains the relationship between the work and the concept of Renewal. In making the final decision, the curator will be looking carefully at the supporting statements as well as the actual images.
RENEWAL
The last year of our lives, collectively and individually, has been one of dramatic cultural and personal change. Whether we have escaped the worst of COVID or been directly touched by its grip, all of us has had to make some adjustment in our private or professional lives. Even if one can argue that artists, self-directed and self-isolating by nature, have been better suited to accommodate these changes, we too look forward to a moment in time when the transition from private to public life is seamless and, above all, entirely our own decision to make.
As I write this in early April, 2021, there is anticipation that some kind of return to normalcy is upon us. Because of the world-wide reach of this pandemic, life “after” COVID is a dominant force in our collective desire, a shared experience unknown since the last of the great world wars of the 20th century. What kind of world does this look like? As creators, how do we express that sense of renewal that we believe lies just beyond our door?
Exhibition Curator: David Febland
Artwork "Civil Obedience" by David Febland
20” x 30” Oil on Linen 2020
CURATOR'S NOTE
Thank you to all the artists who contributed their works to this exhibition. There were many interpretations of the concept of renewal, both direct and indirect, representing a full range of artistic styles.
As all of us, in the roll of observer and judge, bring artistic bias to the selection of submissions for an exhibition, I felt it was important to apply my own preferences first to the interpretation of how well the idea of renewal was expressed, and then to a judgment of how well those responses were crafted. I worked to minimize my own preferences for style, which, while highly emotional, are often arbitrary.
Additionally, I tried to minimize any knowledge of the artist behind the work so that I could make judgments in absolute visual terms. Interestingly, when I DID read bios and art statements after the initial selection process, I was confronted with the paradox that the context of a given work of art is often at least as important as any particular work of art produced at a moment in time - it would be possible to judge Picasso a failure based on the review only of one bad effort. So, while we are dealing with a visual medium here, a coherent written argument for an artist’s decisions carries addition force, and I had to respond to that reality, ex post facto, and make some modifications in my selections.
Again, thank you to all of you for your great efforts, and my sincerest wishes for success in your careers.
David FeBland
GALLERY NOTE
Renewal is a process we inherited from nature. We, as humans, and all that surrounds us fall asleep, hibernate only to wake up refreshed, stronger, and rejoiced. "Cutting edge" becomes dull and is replaced by something sharper. Renewal is a driving force of life. This exhibition reveals how the artists see this process. Each approach is different. Here you can find a nostalgia of “Warsaw 5 PM" by Aleksandra Ciazynska, post-industrial view of "Everything Passes, Everything Changes" by Ted Kennedy, the light tune of "Changing Stations in Broadcasting" by Susy RabiscArt, optimistic Dao "In the labyrinth of life" by Marija Svetieva and mystical work by Marion Knapp. As always, we are happy to be a meeting place for such talented artists. Our mission is to make more art lovers around the globe see their works and share this joy with us.
The winners of the awards:
Curator’s award: “Ready for Changes” by Vitaliy Gonikman
Gallery Award: “Everything Passes, Everything Changes” by Ted Kennedy
Popular Vote Award: “Grapes After the Rain and a Butterfly” by Iuliia Kravchenko
Honorable mention (Curator): "Untitled" by Marion Knapp
Honorable mention (Gallery): “Warsaw 5 PM” by Aleksandra Ciazynska
We will contact the winners regarding the prizes.
All winners can, also, submit their work for one of our future Open Exhibitions free of charge.
https://www.peopleandpaintings.com/exhibitions
Location: Online Exhibition
Exhibition Dates: 06 Sep 2021 - 17 Sep 2021