Two Winners That Didn’t Win

We’ve all been to art exhibitions of one type or another and, viewing the work with the Blue Ribbon or Best of Show award, said, “I sure don’t understand the great appeal of that work. There are 10 others here that I think are better.” Had there been a different “expert” judge or selection committee, or even the same committee another week, there’s a good chance that the results would have changed. It’s a very subjective call as to which is “best”. With that thought in mind, the two images below were submitted for the September b&w assignment and were not voted by the members as a favorite. The first image is by Leander Hutton and the second by Christine McCarty.

Leander has taken an unusual approach, with a sitting ballerina very much in character, pensive or perhaps “tragic”. The lighting is dramatic with the pointe shoes highlighted and the warehouse or basement setting reinforcing the loneliness of the dancer. Parallel concrete columns with no vertical distortion frame the dancer. All in all, a well thought out and executed plan by Leander.

The image below by Christine is another enigmatic scene. It’s well composed and open to a viewer’s imagination of the thoughts in the minds of both the horse and the rider. Choosing to view the sitting girl from behind adds a level of mystery and the chair is a somewhat surprising addition to the otherwise bucolic, open meadow setting. The prominent tree adds a touch of solidity.

Member’s comments have often stated how difficult it is to choose just 5 favorites from each assignment. These two images only serve to reinforce that reality.