Re: Judging Criteria

["Jennifer Glover" <jglover@autometric.com>]

> 1. Use of Materials (innovativeness, appropriateness, etc.) 20%
> 2. Overall Composition (balance, use of space, use of color, etc.) 30%
> 3. Viability 20% (I sort of wonder if someone would actually submit an entry
> with a dying sword plant)
> 4. Overall Impression 30% (If I had to change something on this list, I
> would give this 40% and Viability 10% weights)

I really like these criteria.  

I do not like having a judged theme category.  The reason is that in
good art (here goes all the in my opinion stuff), a theme is
determined by the viewer of a piece of art and not always dictated by
the creator.  There may be an intended theme, but that may not always
be what the viewer will experience.  The whole modern art thing is
built on that premise isn't it?  The red dot on a white canvas can
have a zillion meanings depending on how you think about it.   How do
you judge a theme of "openess", "freedom", "conflict", "disharmony",
or anything like that?  Would a theme be limited to recreating a
scene, like a mountain rising over the plains or a North American
stream bed?  What about the theme of an emotional reaction to visual
stimuli?  Having a red plant in front of a green one that due to its
arrangement near a rock causes a feeling of tension with the eye
naturally sliding away from the serene glad next to it, with the
intent to diplay how chaos/tension is more fun than serenity?

What I am trying to say (and probably poorly) is just what is a
theme?  I do not have much art background (I was playing those musical
instruments, instead of taking art classes, Olga:), so I am not sure
what the intent of the theme category is.  There is a lot of
expression in aquascaping that does not fit into words.

I think that the intent of the aquascape will show in the judges
comments on their overall impression.  For instance, that the tank
gave an impression of the vigor of life, or of the serenity of a
wooded glade.  Good art speaks for itself, aka the "wow" factor.  If
an aquascape does not stir some reaction in the judge, it is probable
that it doesn't have a good theme, right?  The intent of a theme is to
convey an intent/impression/feeling to the viewer right?  Isn't it
cheating to announce what it is?  

Plus, I think that many people entering the contest would be downright
amazed by the artsy-funky impression that someone interpreted from
their aquarium.  Imagine learning that you actually had a theme all
along and didn't even know it.

Jennifer Glover
Waldorf, MD, USA
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