Monday, March 25, 2024

Does AI mean Open Exhibitions / Art Competitions need to rethink digital entries?



Last week I reshared a post on Facebook (see below) which highlighted how many images are now created using "artificial intelligence" aka AI. 

It occurred to me that ALL those organising open exhibitions and/or art competitions MUST now to factor the proliferation of AI into 
  • the calls for entries
  • the rules and regulations
  • the submission process
  • the vetting process
  • the judging process
  • plus briefings on legal decisions for all those in charge
It simply will NOT be acceptable for all entries to be judged on digital images - only to find that a selected entry is a digital print when it arrives for exhibition.

Below I remind organisers of open exhibitions by art societies and art competitions of things they need to think about
  • starting with a very salutary lesson in what happens when you get it wrong - see The AWS Gold Medal Controversy (2008-2010)
  • a reminder about normal challenges for organisers in relation to copyright
  • some initial thoughts on the implications for art competitions and open exhibitions - by way of a checklist!



The AWS Gold Medal Controversy

Unfortunately, the Gold Medal winning painting in the 2008 exhibition, “Impermanence” by Sheryl Luxenburg has generated a huge volume of controversy. In question are the ownership of the image, the originality of the piece and even the authenticity of the medium. Many have questioned the American Watercolor Society's position on this problem and wondered in their communications to us whether our society is taking these questions seriously. Statement in 2008 by the AWS
Should anybody need reminding - here's the link to my post about the debacle at the American Watercolour Society about an "artwork" which won a Gold Medal . 
Was the gold medal winning painting at the centre of the American Watercolor Society controversy actually painted - or was it a giclee print?
See below for links to posts in September 2008 about the AWS Gold medal controversy - in reverse order of posting

Sunday, March 24, 2024

First Tips for using a Sketchbook

While sorting out my sketchbooks - as in finally getting round to labelling them with years and contents, I came across my very first sketchbook as an adult.

In it were some tips from Paul Millichip 1929-2018 about "using a sketchbook" which he very much advocated. In fact it's probably true to say he was the person who started me using a sketchbook properly

So I'm passing them on.....

The context is I signed up for his two week course on painting in Goa India in December 1993 - and a pre-holiday course in September at his studio in Buckinghamshire which was focused on sketching and using a sketchbook, so we'd get the most out of time on our trip to Goa.
(Note: I was very focused in being efficient in how I worked. I'd just started as a management consultant with KPMG and was very focused on performance improvement! Curious how your main job can influence how you approach your art...)

First the notes, then one of my sketches from Goa that I was rather pleased with and then some notes about a couple of books he wrote. Anybody who thinks they look interesting should be able to pick up second hand for next to nothing on the internet. Although I rather suspect, most owners are hanging on to their copies!


Using a Sketchbook

Think of a sketchbook as a tool - a means to an end

When starting to sketch, focus on what interests you - and state it straightaway e.g.

  • dark against light
  • dynamic
  • vertical against horizontal
then
  • look for the source of light
  • light from the side or from behind creates interest
then
  • stare at subject 
  • look at blank page - see ghost of subject
  • put down measuring points

Use your sketchbook to make notes:

  • written notes
  • colour notes - particularly relating to light
  • if a sketch is going to yield useful information, it probably needs fairly careful drawing

If sketching:

  • people - try to sketch a moment
  • group of buildings:
    • look for the line the buildings make against the sky
    • look at overall shapes (the "big shapes")
    • do NOT get distracted by drawing individual buildings
    • focus on the big shapes first - and include negative spaces
  • try a large object in the foreground
  • sometimes useful to sketch on a theme
(He was a good teacher and I was unconsciously using these tips for years afterwards.)

Baga Beach, Goa (1993) by Katherine Tyrrell
An example of how thick cloud in a tropical place
completely mutes all light, colour, tone and shadows.
This is also my very first watercolour sketch of a boat, a sandy beach and a wave!

If you have no colours/paints with you:

  • you need a formula e.g. use initials for paint colours
  • you need to make notes

Using watercolours:

Monday, March 18, 2024

The Cass Art Prize 2024

This post is all about the new £10,000 Cass Art Prize - which has decent prizes and decent Judges. 

The deadline for entries is Noon on 20th May 224

After a LOT of art competitions have "died a death" in recent years, it's a very great pleasure to be able to announce a new one! Especially with a backer as reputable as Cass Art - who have a long tradition of supporting artists.


Below you can find a summary of the facts.  This means it does not include everything - and you MUST READ the following:

  • Frequently Asked Questions - which are very well written! (It makes a change!)
  • Main Entry Page This includes the entry forms for:
    • The Main Prize
    • The Students Award - for students you must be enrolled on a course in a recognised educational institution (UK or Republic of Ireland) with a minimum length of one year.
    • The Art Educators Award - for people who are Art & Design Teacher, Tutor or Technician at a school, college or university in the UK or Republic of Ireland, or a registered Art Therapist.
  • Submission Fees - are detailed on every Entry Page

The Cass Art Prize 2024

The Cass Art Prize has a dedicated webpage on the Cass Art website - https://www.cassart.co.uk/thecassartprize/

Purpose of the £10,000 Cash Prize

  • to champion contemporary art from across the UK and Ireland
  • to continue Cass Art long standing commitment and mission to support artists and encourage them to realise their creative talents

What's on Offer?


The First Prize: The overall winner of the competition will receive:

Other Prizes (Value £5,000)

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Landscape Artist of the Year: Potential for Change?

This is VERY LONG! It's about looking how Landscape Artist of the Year (LAOTY) might change to provide 

  • a much more satisfactory experience for all the artists who participate in it and 
  • deliver a much better programme to all those who watch it 


I think there's some considerable potential for change. So do rather a lot of other people who I've been discussing this with. They typically fall into two camps

  • those who would participate - BUT for the formulaic way it works at the moment where artists are constrained from the outset by the pods
  • those who create art and like watching - but have become more and more disappointed over the years
There's a third camp - those who know little about art but like the programme and see nothing wrong with it. However they are NOT going to be providing future participants!

This post covers:
  • Context: Another perspective or four - about other matters which are relevant to a rethink of LAOTY - or the development of competition by another production company.
  • Scope for Solutions? Looking at the broad context of what change needs to address in terms of weaknesses in the programme
    • Structure of the Programme
    • Calibre of Artist - Who's the REAL TALENT?
    • Wildcards
    • Location, Location, Location
    • Judges
    • Presenters
What's written below is essentially what I've been thinking about for a long time and more recently. But also, it includes lots of contributions from people discussing the programme online on my Facebook Page.

Context: Another perspective or four


Landscape Artist of the Year: Time for a Refresh? highlights many of the issues which, in the opinion of me and rather a lot of other people - need to be changed 

Since writing it, four more things have come to my attention which were not "front of brain" when I wrote the first post

Plein Air Art

  • The first is that somebody reminded me about the practice in the US of having competitive plein air painting paintouts all over the country. This is normal and routine. 
  • In the UK in the last decade, more and more groups have got together to do something similar - albeit only a few are competitive.  
    • My blog post Capturing the Moment - plein air paint out in St James's Park is an example of one such plein air painting group which I was invited to attend.
    • Plus Urban Sketchers Groups which have developed all over the country in the last decade are the natural audience for overtures for people to participate 
    • For the record I was one of the Founders of Urban Sketchers London back in 2012 and I set up the Facebook Page for Urban Sketchers UK - Events where you can find out about upcoming events. There are now huge numbers of urban sketchers in the UK. (Minus me - I gave up when I tore the meniscus in my left knee which made mobilising totally about staying on my feet and very much limited my ability to carry anything. that then led on to the bone on bone ankle, then surgery etc etc)


Television and Broadcasting / Streaming

  • The second was I listened to expert commentary about how much broadcast television has changed in recent years and then went off and looked at the data revealed in e.g.  Media Nations 2023: Latest UK viewing and listening trends 
    • steep declines in watching broadcast TV - use of video on demand increases
    • recent decline in older people watching is the steepest ever
older viewers are diversifying their viewing and becoming more likely to take up streaming services
    • a steep decline in the number of programmes attracting ‘mass audiences’.
    • huge increase in interest in commercial radio and podcasts
    • there's more competition than ever for eyes and ears!
  • The third highlighted something which really reinforced my thinking that the current format was well over due for a radical change.  I listened to an episode of "The Rest is Entertainment" podcast ("The Oscars, Ozempic and Wonka" on my daily walk. 
    • The very experienced and incredibly well informed 'telly person' Richard Osman (who used to be  creative director of the television production company Endemol UK)discussed how much and how fast television programmes have changed in recent years - from pitch to putting a team together to broadcasting. In particular, I learned how programmes get made and how things have changed massively in the last few years - and how agile some of the new programme makers are at conceiving, making and monetising their output.
    • A lot of this is due to the fact there are many more small companies are involved in delivering programmes for both broadcast and streaming media - and certain channels who are much more tuned into delivering decisions fast. Bottom line, they know what people like and what appeals and are fast and nimble on their feet and speedy with their delivery timelines. 
    • If you want an analogy - it's rather similar to how artists went from thinking art as being something that was sold in galleries to realising they can sell for themselves online - and ditching the too heavily corporate model. It connects the artist and the consumer much more directly.
  • The fourth thing was I had a very big think about other similar programmes - operating in different fields of endeavour - and what made them successful. I'll reference this further in the Judges and Presenters section.

Context: What has changed radically in last 10 years 


I came away from all of this thinking it made LAOTY look very staid.

So context for any rethink of LAOTY includes the notions:
  • Other models of delivering competition in plein air art are already well established elsewhere and are developing in the UK
  • the broadcasting industry has changed radically in the last 10 years
  • development and speed of delivery of television programmes has changed radically in the last 10 years (i.e. lifetime of LAOTY)
  • as a result trends on what people watch have changed radically in the last 10 years - with a major change from broadcast on a regular day / regular time to much increased consumption of streaming - even by older people. Niche interests are now catered for.
  • television formats for today need to be based on what is possible - and what connects with the potential audience - rather than what was thought a good idea 10 years ago 
By implication, if you're still doing the same thing 10 years later you are a bit of a dinosaur! Your audience has moved and you need to keep up!

Otherwise there's some considerable scope for others to come along and come up with a better idea and snatch your audience!


Scope for Solutions?

as the quality of the programme deteriorates, the quality of those applying does likewise which is then reflected in the pods etc etc etc. they are on a downward spiral.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Landscape Artist of the Year: Time for a Refresh?

Is it time for a major refresh of Landscape Artist of the Year (LAOTY)?

Below I'm setting out some arguments concerning the need for rethink of how it works.  This includes:
  • PART 1: (TODAY) looks at major issues related to the latest series and how aspects have changed over time
  • PART 2: (TOMORROW) examines the potential for change to help improve the series 



LAOTY Context


  • Series 9 of Landscape Artist of the Year has just concluded. It has followed pretty much the same format since Series 1 - with minor tweaks and changes in presenters.
  • The Call for Entries for participants in Series 10 is out (see Call for Entries: Landscape Artist of the Year Series Ten) and the deadline for online entries is NOON on Friday 3rd May 2024.
  • Filming begins this summer (June/July) for Series 10 to be broadcast January - March 2025.

Realistically, it's very unlikely that there will be anything other than minimal changes for the next series. That's because a project as big as this one will involve months of planning and some aspects may be scheduled years in advance. 

Although certain aspects cause one to sometimes wonder about this! (eg how well do the heats relate to the commission)

Time for a Refresh


While it has had some minor tweaks during its life to date, this series has never had any major charges to help make "the beginning to end experience" more efficient and effective.

It's very unusual for a television series running for this length of time to have not gone through a major reboot - to make it fit for today's audience and their expectations. Particularly where 
  • members of the audience are regularly identifying aspects which they find unsatisfactory.
  • aspects of the programme are declining in quality.
I've been writing about the series every year since 2018. (See my Art of Television page for links to all the reviews.

As a result, I've been thinking for some considerable time about how the series might be improved
  • I've already commented on major issues and unsatisfactory aspects in my reviews of various episode.
  • Followers of my Facebook Page have been also been particularly active this year in comments and highlighting issues and also identifying what needs sorting - and how that might be achieved. The balance of comments lies very much with the fans who think it could be a lot better as opposed to those who think it's basically a contrived and stupid idea. Although there's quite a few of the latter.
I also spent a considerable part of my career involved in performance improvement i.e. reviewing major services for leading organisations and analysing how they might be improved. It is, if you like, part of my DNA!
 
What follows - in two parts - is an amalgam of my ideas and those which fans (or former fans) of the programme have identified as issues and potential for change:
  • PART ONE: Landscape Artist of the Year: Time for a Refresh?  (today)
  • PART TWO: Landscape Artist of the Year: Potential for Change? (tomorrow)

What are the Issues and Problems?