2024 Explore This! 20 Awards

When evaluating work that I am encountering for the first time, my method is multilayered. The pattern of discrimination I have developed over time is imprinted in my mind and in my practice as a curator. All judgment is comparative—I compare each work I see to all artwork I have ever seen. It is important to preview the submitted works several times before making any choices to avoid prejudging any one work before the others.

The process begins with accepting every work at its face value. What has the artist presented to me? In this group of 330 works, my first impression depended solely on the aesthetic quality of the image on the screen. Each artist spent hours with the chosen materials and made many decisions from start to finish. I try to imagine where the work began and what the artist intended to create. The image leads to understanding composition, color choices, and cropping of the subject matter. After absorbing all I can learn from the image, I read the dimensions to understand the scale and materials the artist used.

What separates those selected from the rest is how the artists met the challenge they set for themselves: how ambitious and interested were the artists in adding to the conversation about what is possible with materials, subject matter, and approach. The entries included birds, plants, animals, family members, objects, and narratives. What set work apart in each category was not only superior technique and use of materials but also originality in composition and focus. Animals or humans with distinct personalities made themselves visible. Imperfect plants showing signs of life or decay became apparent. Objects presented in an interesting light or angle or viewpoint distinguish themselves. In the end work that was original and pushed a boundary in an unusual way became eligible for recognition and awards.

Mark Ormond
December 2023