SUPER HEROES

Scott's Picks

Before I moved to Denison a couple of years ago, I never paid much attention to art—mostly I played and watched sports. And while I admired the efforts of athletes in ice skating and surfing, I always thought it was bullshit to have events where the winner was determined by judges. Hey, a winner is the one who scores the most runs; and you score a run when you cross home plate, not when some so-called expert “likes your style”.

So idea of staging an art competition was accompanied with a measure of chagrin…and awareness that the selection of so-called winners would be riddled with arbitrariness. But with that big caveat out of the way, I’ll go on record as endorsing the juror’s selections in Super-Heroes. She picked them the way I would have picked them (well, mostly).

But she was saddled with a pre-determined award structure, whose slots she had to fill…and in making my picks, I can designate whatever award categories I want.

THE NO-BRAINER BEST IN SHOW AWARD: The same one the juror picked. It was the total package. Beautifully conceived, immaculately executed. It responds perfectly to the Super Hero theme with its allusions to the goddess protector of Nature, and exudes a wonderful playfulness. Kay and I got to spend time with all of the entries before the juror saw them, and it took us all of ten seconds to agree as to Best In Show; that’s probably how long it took Barbara to pick …like I say—this award was a no-brainer.

THE ONE YOU THOUGHT OF THE NEXT MORNING AWARD (And isn’t that the definition of great art?): Lubbock-artist Ryder Richard’s Handguns For Halos. You would think a story about angels, salvation, and redemption would be all warm and fuzzy, peaches and cream. Not this cowboy. Many said they were troubled by this depiction of an angel packing heat; that it was too dark. One went so far as to declare this artist a “godless person”. But even if they didn’t verbalize it, everyone who looked closely at this piece said…”WOW”.

MOST CLEVER RESPONSE TO “HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUPER-HERO?” AWARD: That’s the question we put in the Invitation for Entries, and Josh Fletcher used “negative space” to answer the query. In What Are You Waiting For, Super-Hero?, the absence of one in a situation where a hero is most sorely needed supplies a perfect definition.

SHOW-STOPPER AWARD: Donna Adams’ Re-creation. Everyone loves it…and stares at it…and stares at it…and stares at it…and stares at it…kind of hypnotic, isn’t it?

EXCELLENCE IN ARCHITECTURE AWARD: If you’re familiar with Jimi Morris’ work, you know he does incredible depictions of interior spaces. In The Last Supper Hero, his reworking of the proportions of Da Vinci’s painting is brilliant.

GET REAL ABOUT WHO’S A SUPER-HERO AWARD: Pat Pierce gave us a real Super-Hero: Dr. Harold Skaggs: Medical Missionary. Of course she’s proud of her brother and his work in Africa. This painting radiates with love…and isn’t that what the world needs more of?