Connie mentioned in her review of the Krasl jury that the first image is the most important when being viewed for jurying. When I've attended a few jury previews for ZAPPlications (e.g. Ft. Worth Main St.), I and several other artists who were looking at the hundreds of applications seemed to feel that the last image was the most important. That is, if the images were all in a single line.
But what about images that are on two lines, maybe with three on top and two + the booth image, on the bottom? Which one would be the most effective, the most eye-catching?
Or should the first and last image be the strongest? And does the booth image overwhelm the individual images?
Will the promoters/directors give this thread some feedback? Artists?
Comments
Larry Berman
Art Show Jury Services
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
Well, I try to rock the public, but I do a lot of very quiet, introspective work; which doesn't endear me to many jurors, such as the 20-somethings that apparently juried Brookside. But reality does whack one alongside the head.
I was going through Costco the other day (I refuse to say shopping or I'll make my wife very happy!) when I saw their new photos-on-canvas display. They are working with Corbis, which is a huge photo site, to offer many thousands of images to the adoring public. The prices aren't cheap, but they aren't expensive enough to prevent some enterprising photographer from buying a bunch of really cool images and selling them at art shows. Or maybe some people are already doing this? I'm shocked, I tell you. Shocked! But then, I don't have a photo with a bunch of cypress trees on a hill top in Tuscany. Dang! Always behind the loop.
Earlier in this blog post, I had commented on arranging your images on ZAPP (which also should include JAS and Entry Thingy). Several people thought arranging your images in any particular order wasn't important. However, Connie and I feel, though she says first image is important, I say the middle or last image, depending on the number of non-booth images, it's basically tomatoes, tomahhhtoes. I'll give way to her higher level of experience in jurying shows and seeing tons of applications.
But look at it this way: when you stock your booth, whether hanging 2D or laying out 3D work, do you just scatter it about, come what may, or do you try to maximize the appeal for the public? When the public is walking by your booth, you have maybe 3-5 seconds to grab their eyes. What do you hang in those key vision areas? What is the first thing they should see? Something small and beige-ish, or something significant, a major jury piece, something that stops them in their tracks, makes them look around your booth, makes them step in to look at your work up close? It doesn't matter if it's photos, mixed media, jewelry, wind chimes, ceramics, clothing, etc.
Many of us work hard to ensure that those key drawing areas, which are 1) the panel or case or stand facing the main traffic flow, 2) the part of the booth facing what can be traffic flow against the grain, and 3) the back of your booth catch those eyes. So, I believe that we have just as limited a time to grab a juror's eyes as the public cruising a show. Lots of stuff to see, not a lot of time to see it. And you have to say to yourself: I believe in my work, my creativity and I want to do whatever it is that will help either the jurors or the public to believe in my work, too.
Most shows don't specify that you shouldn't put more than one piece per picture. Lakefront is the only one I'm aware of. For the other major shows I'd contact the director and ask how they feel about multiple pieces per picture. I'd suspect that the shows will tell you not to unless the pieces are sold as a set (like a teapot and cups) because it will take the jurors a lot longer to digest what they're looking at.
Carla is a good person to answer this because she's a jeweler and show director.
Larry Berman
Art Show Jury Services
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
I should know that... Krasl is on my list of shows that project
http://bermangraphics.com/digital-jury-resources/zapp-projection-ju...
Larry Berman
Art Show Jury Services
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
Whenever I post a comment on a thread, I try to request or offer solid information, stuff that others can either inform me of or that they in turn can use. I get really tired of people who offer little if anything of value, just pick nits under the guise that their lovely, wit filled comments are more important than what others might want to learn or to share. Especially for those artists new to the show biz and are desperately trying to catch up to those of us who think we might know something.
If you have nothing positive to say, please keep your comments to yourself - AFI is an excellent resource for information, let's keep it that way! Constructive differences of opinion are always welcome, that is how we all learn and grow. But, as I tell some people, if you can't leave 'em laughing, just leave!
Now that that's off of my chest, I have been to enough ZAPP and other previews and mock juries to observe that the jurors DO focus on either the first or the last image (by enlarging it on their laptop/monitor); however, if there are five images other than the booth image, the middle one seems to get a lot of play. So, my comments above weren't egregious. The flow of your images is very important - for example, if you put one vertical image in among four or so horizontals, the vertical image will capture more eyes than any of the horizontals.
If you want to try out the flow/vertical vs. horizontal, etc., gather a bunch of fellow art show artists and have a group slide show (bring over laptops with your stuff on them) and get critiques - this can be a real eye opener.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next