Garth, as I told you, I am truly sorry your Apotheoun didn't make it all the way! I was SO sure it would. It is a big disappointment. But semi-finalist status is not too bad. There are many, myself included, who would have been happy to make it to that point. So take the kudos and run with them!

I do agree with Michele and others--this painting draws on tradition but is not traditional per se. It does have edginess, but it is not the kind of edginess that is "in your face." I really admire that.

I'm beginning to think about "retina-burn" in relation to these particular judges. Maybe in-your-face edginess is what catches their attention. I guess we will find out soon enough. It does seem odd, though, because I would have said it's that particular combination of unusual composition and incredibly rendered foms, textures, and glowing light that would cause any judge to stop and look twice.

Portraiture seems to still be divided into two philosophies, "contemporary" and "traditional," and I think it's going to be a while before these start to really come together. You are one of those artists who bring them together, and I'm predicting your work will be appreciated more and more as time goes on, so just hang in there and don't doubt yourself.

One reason I entered this.
 

Dear Enzie, Kim, Michele, and Alex,

Thank you kindly. I guess this is a little outside the box for a portrait.

I believe one of the principal jurors (the artist component of the jury) was Sydney Goodman, a Philadelphia artist and teacher of international repute, that I once studied with at PAFA. 25 years ago, he'd wander into my student studio cubicle, not say a thing about my work, but praise the art postcards I had taped up to my wall. He took some of them for his own inspiration. In 1994 I painted the ancestral version of Apotheoun, "Apotheosis of the Chunnel". Sydney Goodman awarded this as the top prize best of show in a local exhibiton in 1996. Whenever we'd cross paths, we would nod hello to each other. He seems to remember me, and acknowledged that when he autographed his monograph book for me during a retrospective exhibition of his at the Philadelphia Museum of Art eight or nine years ago. Naturally I thought he might like Apotheoun if I entered it. Perhaps he did to an extent; it is hard to know what the other three judges had in mind for the final selection. I thought this painting would be as good a gamble as any, given his role on the jury. I have not personally been in contact with Mr. Goodman in several years. Some day it would be interesting to sit down with him and hear how he viewed this jurying process for the National Portrait Gallery.

Below is the original life-sized (1994) painting Sydney Goodman liked, and a detail. I think I have changed a lot in twelve years. Below that is a detail of Apotheoun (2004). And finally, Lesser Apotheoun (2006). Gosh, I have worked this subject to death! Time to move on!

Garth

Hey, sorry your painting didn't make the final cut, but: top 100 out of 4000! - nothin' to sneeze at. And as I'm sure you are well aware, at that level, it's then down to the whim of the juror(s). Another jury and the final 50 would be totally different, with you getting the Grand Prize. Ultimately, it becomes quite a subjective affair. But keep entering these competitions because I want to see more of your work in person! :)

David

Garth-

I realize this sentiment is no consolation but I wanted to add my continued congratulations. It is always a mystery as to the final judging and what sways the votes. I do think David is right especially in this case. I also would like you to know that your work is truly worthy of this level and you (as well as many others on this sight) are an inspiration.

I will always paint because I am compelled to. You and others keep the banner flying while others, like myself, tread the path that you cut.

Please keep us informed of those others who dwell outside of our conection here and in PSOA. I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.

Garth--

I've already expressed how stunned I am with the painting. It is an absolutely original and consummately realized image, whether it carries the requisite "edginess" or not.

But what also equally impresses me is the grace with which you've received this honor, and the way you move through our working world. You've always exhibited a quiet confidence about your work, but with a singular lack of either unbridled ego or paranoid defensiveness. Add to that a generosity of spirit and helpfulness to your fellow artists. We could all benefit from cultivating these spiritual skills--I know I could.

Folks, we don't know what the final array will be, and it's premature to assume that it will be a contest between traditional realism and other approaches. But I'm looking forward to it, because by the time you get to even the semifinal level, all questions of excellence have been satisfied. So it becomes, as David said, somewhat subjective, because judging a show is always a human activity, and will always reflect the preferences of the panel. It can never be otherwise. Garth knows this.

But again, to have reached this level means you're one of the best, period. Garth, your work and the spirit you bring to it will always be the "gold standard" that I aspire to.

Best--TE

Garth,

Your Apotheoun is one of the loveliest and most impressive pieces of contemporary painting I have seen.

Unfortunately Contemporary Art is mired in the mind-set of it has to be cutting-edge to be important, if it is not ugly it can't be expressive or powerful. Which is why I do not like Hockney, Freud, Neel and love yours.

I saw the paintings they featured on the Smithsonian web-site. It is their loss.

Can you post the link? I went to their site and couldn't find it.

I did find out, however, that the lone artist on the jury is Sidney Goodman who teaches at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. Do you know who he is, Garth? I'm not familiar with his work.

Dear Michele,

Yes as I stated above I do know Sydney Goodman and he may know me as a former student. I have not been in contact with him for five years, so there is no conflict of interest in this competition. I would love to meet with him after the show opens and get his take on the whole process. As I said above, he greatly admires the earlier version of the painting that led up tp Apotheoun, which is the reason I entered it.

I don't know if he has a website, at least I could not find one. He tends to paint on a colossal scale both in conception and size. In school he always wanted me to simplify my modeling of form in paint. I found one web image. He frequently puts himself in his paintings. In this case he is holding the camera at the bottom.

Garth

I must have missed your earlier post about him. (Hard to keep up with everything posted on SOG sometimes!)

It would be fascinating to hear his take on how everything unfolded at this competition, though I imagine he wouldn't tell any of the entrants about it.

Here is a web link to some of the artists and work for the exhibition.

http://www.portraitcompetition.si.ed...st/splash.html

It is interesting to see these pieces and I'm not surprised. What I see is that we are all serious artists, serious about our goals and sense of guidelines that we aspire to. Each of the featured pieces is art and I am moved by all of them, they just serve a different master than I, so to speak.

It is not up to me to judge if they are worthy of the exhibition because they are.

If I were the judge, the show would be different (but probably very boring).