Garth--
I've already expressed how stunned I am with the painting. It is an absolutely original and consummately realized image, whether it carries the requisite "edginess" or not.
But what also equally impresses me is the grace with which you've received this honor, and the way you move through our working world. You've always exhibited a quiet confidence about your work, but with a singular lack of either unbridled ego or paranoid defensiveness. Add to that a generosity of spirit and helpfulness to your fellow artists. We could all benefit from cultivating these spiritual skills--I know I could.
Folks, we don't know what the final array will be, and it's premature to assume that it will be a contest between traditional realism and other approaches. But I'm looking forward to it, because by the time you get to even the semifinal level, all questions of excellence have been satisfied. So it becomes, as David said, somewhat subjective, because judging a show is always a human activity, and will always reflect the preferences of the panel. It can never be otherwise. Garth knows this.
But again, to have reached this level means you're one of the best, period. Garth, your work and the spirit you bring to it will always be the "gold standard" that I aspire to.
Best--TE
__________________
TomEdgerton.com
"The dream drives the action."
--Thomas Berry, 1999
|