Juror’s Comments

Juror’s Comments Amanda Morgan

Assistant Curator, Exhibitions and Publications, Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, FL

To state the obvious, the American South is expansive. By the definition of New American Paintings, it spreads from South Florida— where I am from and live today—north to Maryland and West Virginia and stretches past the Mississippi river as far west as Arkansas and Louisiana. Though a small sample, the selection of works in this issue begins to give a sense of the immeasurable array of experiences, perspectives, and creative practices that makes up the South. While, broadly speaking, the works can be characterized by the classic and perennial art historical genres of figuration and portraiture, landscape and interior scenes, as well as abstraction—though many of the works do not fit neatly into any one category—they evidence a sweeping range of aesthetic, material, and conceptual approaches. Although there is a wide variety of works featured, certain recurring themes and parallels can be spotted.

One striking feature of this selection is the looming presence of nostalgia. Perhaps this is not surprising as it often feels like we are living in tumultuous times—going on three years of a worldwide pandemic that has yet to fully recede, deepening political discord, a humanitarian emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, a global climate crisis, the continued struggle for equality and social justice, and, as I write, the outbreak of war in Ukraine, to name just a few issues that are impacting our lives and our collective consciousness today. Acknowledging that reviewing the works for this contest is an unavoidably subjective process—one influenced by my own sentiments, intellectual pursuits, and idiosyncrasies—a part of me may have sought comfort, respite, and deeper understanding in the poignant images that this framework provides. At the same time, there may currently be a tendency for artists to react to and process our contemporary moment through this particular lens. Likely it is a combination of both.

The powerful aura of nostalgia is particularly apparent in the works depicting landscapes and interior spaces. Deb Koo creates expressive and touching oil paintings of domestic scenes with a vintage hue. Koo’s Loveseat, a simple, desaturated detail of a floral couch with cushions flattened and throw pillow askew from recent use, harkens to notions of grandmother’s house and familial connections. Anne Carney Raines draws from the theater to create pastel-colored landscapes of wistful worlds whose manifold layers entice and envelope the viewer. Combining images of rural highways—a symbol embedded in Americana—with geometric abstraction, Namwon Choi plays with time and distance to create a liminal space conducive to introspection.

Koo p98 Campbell p41 Phillips p117 Jackson p88 Thomas p142 Heiser p77

"...the selection of works in this issue begins to give a sense of the immeasureable array of experiences, perspectives and creative practices that makes up the South."

Likewise, a number of the works are odes to the mundane, yet cherished everyday. It is here where the profound and lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic feel especially potent. Using color and shadow, Natalia Juncadella paints stylized and endearing snapshots of quiet moments presumably at the kitchen table. Lou Haney and Sophie Treppendahl similarly use bold colors and vivid patterns evocative of Les Nabis (a movement formed in an anxious epoch not entirely unlike our own) to present idealized domestic spaces that beckon the viewer to escape within. Rachel Campbell utilizes oil and acrylic to create richly painted exterior scenes in appreciation of the suburban quotidian.

Another common thread that can be found in these works is the tapping of memory and history, both intimate and shared, as a means of exploring varied notions of identity. Jasmine Best deftly engages personal memories and experiences with mixed media, including digital painting, collaged fabric, and embroidery, to create striking and affecting portraits. Visakha Jane Phillips reminisces on family, place, and time to present pensive and illusory figurative paintings, while Cameron Bliss culls memories and dreams, producing mysterious portraits almost undoubtedly filled with private symbology. Furthermore, Ronald Jackson and Edison Peñafiel turn to historical iconography and genres to reevaluate portraiture and compel the examination of humanity in our present.

The works of multiple artists in this issue remind us that Abstraction shares the self-reflexive impulses found in other artistic strategies. Barbara Campbell Thomas’s mixed media compositions of collaged fabric, cut up paintings, and acrylic and spray paints, as well as Erik Barthels’s acrylic and paper collages, are meditative combinations of color and form that invite earnest contemplation. Luisa Maria Basnuevo employs a series of processes, including painting, drawing, and printmaking, that result in multifarious, layered, and expressive patterns that intermingle the personal with the abstract. At the same time, Sean Latif Heiser uses acrylic and Flashe on linen to create vibrant paintings that mix geometric abstraction with tangible references sourced from firsthand experiences and the everyday.

While certain similarities in themes or theoretical dialogues can be found among the previously mentioned artists, each of their practices are distinct, just as the works of the other artists featured in this issue are unique. Collectively, they showcase a range of techniques, philosophies, and viewpoints. It was an honor to review the works of so many deliberative and creative artists, and I would like to commend everyone who submitted work to this competition. Thank you all for your thought-provoking and sincere work that aids us to better understand ourselves and the world around us. n