Organized by Iona Ellsworth and funded by Del and Ginger Hall, this is the first non-member competition the PNC has mounted since the Irving Shapiro memorial watercolor show juried by Richard Schmid in 1995. (as you may recall, the judging was somewhat controversial since Schmid gave the grand prize to a piece he personally liked rather than one that exemplified Shapiro’s technical mastery.)
This project drew over three hundred entries from around the country - and some very good ones, too.
The Bridgeport Art Center has a year long program of shows for local emerging artists, - and the Zhao B Center used to have them about a decade ago.
What distinguishes this PNC show is the serious attitude throughout. It’s not a showcase for the cleverness and technique that characterizes those other shows, yet neither does it focus on the dysfunction and identity defiance of the greater artworld. It exemplifies the atelier aesthetic with solid drawing, somber but uplifting tone, and apparent effort.
Full catalog shown here
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Sonya Marek Zartman, Drunk Man’s Words, 38 x 30
First Prize
Spatially precise edges and carefully modulated tones.
with an overall elegance and nobility. He’s studied Sargent, and it shows.
John Singer Sargent, Venetian Interior (1880), detail
Zartman is one of those exceptionally talented young painters who visit the PNC every few years. Some, like Mary and Andy, stay around, but most move on.
The narrative in this image makes no sense to me . But Zartman has a natural gift for organizing pictorial space in an elegant way.
The greatest challenge for artists in our time (other than making a living ) is finding a narrative worthy of their abilities. It’s not a given like it was for Rembrandt and Titian.
Robin Venter, Saint Sebastian, 24 x 18
Second Prize
Perugino, 1495
Why was the Martyrdom of St. Sebastian such a popular theme in Renaissance Italy? Perhaps popular is not the right word, since the general public had nothing to do with it. Only the wealthy could collect such things.
Is repressed homoeroticism the answer? It does feel as if that fine young dude is swooning with contentment as he’s penetrated over and over by deadly arrows. And it’s so glowing, spacious, and uplifting. Wouldn’t mind seeing it as I wake up every day.
The Sebastian in this show is quite different. It’s wonderfully painted, but makes me feel sorry for the poor dude who apparently was a rather dumpy woman before she had her breasts removed to transition to male. She’s been tied up, taken an arrow to the gut, and feeling rather put upon right now. Though as a martyr, they know their cause is just.
Welcome to America’ s gender wars. I hope it finds a like minded collector.
Eliza Hoffman, Wading, 24 x 18
Michael Harding Artist Choice
Conflating Sorolla with social realism.
Abigail Olson, 20 x 16
A serious, compelling self portrait.
Gravitas is really what distinguishes this show.
Goofy is fine - but serious can be better.
Sydney Harris, Self Portrait in Green, 16 x 13
And here’s another good self portrait,
with a notable composition and fine look of determination.
Cora Cherubini, Nobody’s Daughter, 14 x 11
Could be a saint.
R.R. Christensen, Boats in Taiwanese Bay, 16 x 20
All those triangles make for a really weird sense of space
Jackson Wrede, Troublemakers, 30 x 24
Nothing wrong with kittens,
but this one is not helping the elegant figure who holds it.
Mark Baral, Faithful, 16 x 20
Third Prize
A noble theme, just wish I could get more excited about it’s look.
Spencer Hearne, Holden , 11 x 9.75”
Certainly captures this model.
Gaby Nighan, Aquimia, 16 x 16”
A fine portrait shown online, bur that did not make it to Chicago.
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It takes a lot of time, effort, and money to make this kind of show,
and we my not see another for another 30 years.
But I do hope we can establish an endowment to make juried non-member shows a periodic event.
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