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  • Home
  • Upcoming Shows / Events
  • Become a Member
  • Online Store
  • 2024 Exhibitions
    • Neches River 2024
    • Still Life & Food 2024
    • Portrait/Figure Show 2024
    • Xenia Fedorchenko 2024
  • 2023 Exhibitions
    • Mike C and Lamar Legends
    • Land Sea City Scape
    • Abstract, September
    • Photography, August
    • 80th Anniversary, July
    • Member Show, June
    • Melody Montero-Ortiz, May
    • Neches River, April
    • Portrait/Figure, March
    • Romance, February
  • About
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    • Shades of Winter, January
    • January 2023
    • August 2022
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    • October 2021
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ABSTRACT/NON-OBJECTIVE Show September – November 2023

    ABSTRACT/NON-OBJECTIVE Show Awards

      1st Place 

    Vicki Vanover

    PINKSCRIPTION

    Mixed Media

    24”X24”


    2nd Place

    Stephen Hellweg

    City On The Sea; 2022

    48 X 24

    Acrylic


    3rd Place

    Bryan S. Welborn

    Cool Clear Water

    Denim and Acrylic on Canvas

    16 X 20


    Honorary Mentions

    Carlo Busceme IV

    Ed Esclovon

    James Parfait


    Juror

    Andy Coughlan


    Judge Honorarium Statement by Andy Coughlan

    Abstract art is defined in the dictionary as art that does not attempt to represent external

    reality, but seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, forms, colors, and textures. So, as a juror,

    how does one differentiate between abstract works. What makes a piece “good”? If a work is

    not attempting to represent reality, how does one know if the artist has accomplished his goal?

    For me, the preceding idea is flawed. I am not interested in philosophizing about what the artist

    is trying to say. Abstract art exists for its own sake. That is not to say that the artist is without

    intention, just that I cannot know that. Therefore, my role as the viewer is to respond to the

    work on a visceral level. I walk around looking at the work from a distance, waiting for the

    pieces to reach out and attract me. Once a short list is compiled, I look at them again.

    What am I looking for? The answer is both simple and complex. I am looking for the works that

    challenge me, that invite me to ask questions without giving me answers. The pieces I selected

    for awards did that.

    This was a hard show to judge, much harder than I expected as there were many that appealed

    to me by many different artists. On another day, my choices may have been different but that is

    needless speculation. The pieces chosen were for this time.

    Vicki Vanover’s “Pinkscription” is endlessly fascinating, and I still don’t know why. Which is why

    I like it. It is decorative but also alluring. It simple, yet the tiny details or the beads on the lines

    are perfectly placed. Each time I visited it I saw new things and I looked forward to returning to

    it.

    Stephen Hellweg’s “City on the Sea” had a different effect. The lovely bold shapes and colors

    demand one’s attention. It also reminds me of early 20 th century Expressionism. I don’t look at

    the titles until I have made a shortlist. In this case, the title adds to the piece. As someone who

    grew up in a city by the sea, I can feel the painting’s vibe.

    Bryan Welborn’s “Cool Clear Water” is subtle and evocative. I am a sucker for texture, and this

    piece uses it to beautiful effect. Like the water it is meant to evoke, there is something

    meditative about standing in front of it and allowing oneself to get lost in the soft textures.

    The three honorable mentions all fit the theme of inviting the viewer to spend time with them.

    Ed Esclovon’s “Flow to the Center” invites us to do just that. The lines lead us into the void

    where we can lose ourselves.

    Carlo Busceme’s “Place to Go to Learn to Leave” is small in size but enormous in scale. Like an

    ancient cave wall, the various marks imply a sense of history waiting to be discovered.

    James Parfait’s “Untitled 2” is playful in its complexity. Sometimes, one just wants to look at a

    work and smile.

    If a work was not chosen to place, it is important to understand that does not mean it has no

    value. I am delighted at the turnout for the show. I truly believe that a work of art only properly

    exists when it is seen. I hope all the artists here know they were seen by me.

    Beaumont Art League

    2675 Gulf Street, Beaumont, Texas 77703, United States

    409-347-6166

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