celandine

You maybe judge the Spectrum Annual blindly but come on, at some point, you must recognize somebodies work after seeing his artwork so many times. Also, I bet you judges follow a hole bunch of artists you like so when it comes to the judging, you see that atwork you've seen before so you unconsciously have a certain favoritism going on. So I think that's why people complain about that annual always have the same artists. Maybe there should some new rules to let newer artists in?

Sure I recognize peoples work. 

I recognize the work of the artist that did an amazing cover for TOR books, and I recognize the artist that I’ve been talking to for 6 years and he still hasn’t updated his portfolio. I recognize artists that are taking chances and doing something new and innovative, and I recognize artists that are chasing trends, creating work that looks like 1000 other artists, and ones that do just enough to get by. I recognize artists that maintain the status quo, and artists that get out of their comfort zone and take chances. I recognize artists that follow the herd and artists that lead the herd. I recognize artists that walk into a room with the attitude that they deserve respect, loyalty, and fame, and those that work their asses off to earn respect, loyalty and fame. I recognize those artists that have a passion for their craft and work every day to perfect it, and those artists that are doing enough to get by. I recognize those artists that take a $200 job and create a priceless object, and those artists that take a $200 job and create art on a time clock. I recognize artists that spend their time talking about what they can’t do, and the artists that spend their time creating what is possible in their life.

When I walk through those rows of art, looking for someone that knocks my socks off….I’m not looking for my friends or the artists I know. I’m looking for art that speaks to me. I’m looking for art that rises above the noise of the 5,000 other pieces in the running. I’m not walking along and saying “oh look, there’s that piece by ENTER ARTIST NAME HERE! I think I’ll vote for it because they are always in Spectrum.” No, in fact, if I’m walking down a row of art and I recognize an artists work, I ask myself “Are they doing something new? Are they getting out of their comfort zone? Are they growing as an artist or resting on their laurels?” If anything, I judge a artist I know harder. So you see, if anyone has a gripe with me - it’s the guys that I know. I judge them harder!

And this is my final word on the matter…

Spectrum is “the best in contemporary fantastic art”. That is the premise of the book. That is the stand the Fenners took when they created it more than twenty years ago. That is the stand the judges take when they enter into the grueling task of evaluating and judging thousands of submissions. That is the stand that ever volunteer and staff member that works on the book take on. That is the stand that every artist that submits to the publication takes on as they evaluate their work. That is the stand that the process was developed to help support.

If an artist doesn’t get into Spectrum, rather than change the rules, perhaps they should recognize they have a two options:

Option #1 - ImproveOption #2 - Submit to a book that has rules that support a publication that bills itself as the “the mediocre in contemporary fantastic art”

Yes, I recognize peoples work…

—AgentOrder