New Competition Category?

[Lynn O. Doughty]

I may have brought this subject up before but I think it's important enough to air one more time.

In just about every woodcarving competition I've attended or participated in the question or problem of a carving done by more than one person comes up. How some justify this is beyond me. How can a carving carved by one person and painted by another fairly compete with one done completely by someone else? I can't think of any other type of competition where such an exception is allowed. I'd say that entry forms on the majority of the various competitions clearly state that the piece entered should be done by the carver vs. carver/painter but not many pay attention that that rule. To maybe solve this problem how about a new category for just this type of work? Maybe we could call it "Committee Carvings" as those participating in the piece's creation would have to get together and agree on just how it should be done.

Now don't get me wrong....I have nothing against a fellow turning out a nice piece of work and then turning it over to someone else to apply some paint. However, before setting that piece on the competition table maybe the show committee and the carver involved should ponder if this is really fair to the carvers standing in front or behind them who completed the whole job themselves.

[Goody]

Thats why Anna And I don't compete our santas anymore. We have some contraversy with it and with others it was no problem. At the last 2 Baltimore Carving shows we had a seperate catagorie for group projects. (one or more artiesions) and a catagorie for group completed and class completed pieces. Ironicaly paricipation fell off because of too many rules!. We are not having the show this year. The local woodcraft store begged us to put one of my santas in the santa compitition a few years ago as they didn't have enough entries . We did well on the local level but was disqualified because we both worked on it. It only came up because another local carver complained. The Local Woodcraft store was surprized and even was apologetic for asking us to enter. Its hard for anything to have good participation anymore. A lot of good carvings never make it to compitions any more because of politics. In someways its a shame because there is not as many pieces entered in a show and shows don't draw enough public interest if theres nothing to hold thier interest. Anna and I would would welcome a group catagorie but how do you but a Santa or a decoy up aginst a six foot chain saw carving? I have judged at a few show and its very hard. You find a well executed piece and now you have to also judge on all the politics. I have to study tup before a show to know whos selling what roughouts, whos teaching what classes and find out about as many of the seminars that have been held recently. I have had some pretty Irate people in my face and even on one ocasion someone got phiysical over a carving that came from a roughout that I did not recognize. I think the economy and politics have really taken a toll on the shows arround the country.

[mobjack68]

You raise an interesting and very valid point....and while I like the idea of a separate judging category??? What will happen at the shows where only one piece that was "carved by committee" (I like that!!) is entered in the CBC category and takes the blue for that category??? Will that take away from the efforts of the "non committee" carvers?? I guess the big question is this...Will it diminish the value/quality of the show/competition in any way????

The good/bad here is I don't have a horse in this race. I have only ever entered in one show and it was not a carving competition...it was an art show. They judged my carving (which was only 1.5" tall) against sofa size oil paintings, poster photographs, etc..etc...
I do not carve for competitive reasons, I carve for enjoyment and to lower my blood pressure (yea, right) I give most of my carvings away, just kind of funny that way. Any suggestion I may have will be unbiased but somewhat ignorant, because of my lack of show experience. BUT, in the interest of fair play, I agree with your assessment. Making it practical?? What about using someone else's pattern??? will that fall into your committee description?? I'll be watching this one to see what shakes....Hhhmmmm...interesting..

[Lynn O. Doughty]

A carver who does his own work has a broad number of categories that should meet his needs so not being able to enter into one where a piece has been jointly worked on would be no problem. While some might relish the idea of putting their personal work up against that of a group that too might not be considered fair if that person was a much more accomplished carver.

As for politics entering into this argument I just don't see that point. If you were running a marathon you certainly wouldn't want to complete against a team entry. Where's the fairness in that? I wouldn't want to swim a 4 lap race against a team of two who only had to swim two laps each. I always hear the complaint as to why woodcarving is not accepted on an equal basis as an art form as other mediums. I would venture to say that this problem in judging just might be a contributing factor. How many paintings have you seen hanging in galleries or museums that were completed by a group? No doubt there are some but if I was the artist who signed my name on the canvas I don't think I should be worthy enough to claim full credit. No, we're talking about simple fairness here. We raise our children to compete fairly in life, at least I hope we do, so why should we expect exceptions in this case?

[whittlinJim]

Interesting question! Instead how about a catagory for original carvings entirely done by a single carver? I think that would be a much more interesting way to go as it would eliminate derivative and repetitious carvings and only have those carving that truly deserve it going head to head with each other. I think that would raise the bar and interest level for everyone!
I have to state that I have never entered into a competition and so I dont know how these things are judged, but it seems to me that original carvings is what people want to see not the best rendition of the pattern on page 36 of any magazine, painted by a commitee of elves!
Putting the empasis on originality would draw both more and better carvers as well as the interest of the public!
Remember this is just my ignorant and uninformed opinion!

Jim

[brent]

Well, some competitions have made a category for roughouts, so why not have one for carver/painter! A good friend of mine had to let his wife paint his for him, he was color blind. To me, that would/should be a valid reason. JMO

[Steve Reed]

Guess I might as well chime in. I have entered numerous competitions, won some, not others. I have also been a judge for carving competitions as well. In one case, I was the only judge, so politics didn't enter in to it! LOL Other times as a competitor, I have seen it, and I think it takes away from the idea of fairness. Of course, you will always get a competitor that says "the judges just don't like me", I doubt seriously that that is the case. As far as "committee carvings", I don't have a dog in that fight either. I just think sometimes we make things too hard. If there is a carver who is excellent, and say his wife is an excellent painter, then so be it. No disrespect meant to anyone, just my $.02. After all, are we part of competitions for the prize money (if any) or to gauge ourselves and our own accomplishments, and to share our love of this art form (or craft, uh-oh)?

[gtech]

I never entered any competition, but the way I see it is like if I felt I was not good enough to paint a carving I made and asked a good artist to paint it for me. Is it ok?

We all know that the painting can make or break a wood carving.

Is it judged on the carving, the painting, or both?

Or what if I ask someone to carve the head of a caricature because he is better at heads than me, and carve the body and paint it myself?

I think there should be a collaborative project category for these cases. The goal is to be fair to everybody.

Gilles

[Marci MN]

Would this be a catagory I could enter my dressed wooden carved dolls in also? I carve them from wood, and have someone else dress them. Just curious.

Marcia.

[hwallen48]

Isn't there a Category for pieces carved in a carving class? Maybe it coud be entered in something like that?? Just an idea.