Ali Rogan, Judge
2012 Annual Members’ Show
Judge’s Statement:
This Century Art Gallery has been in existence as a volunteer-run not-for-profit gallery under the old and new guard of artists for over fifty years in Williamsburg, Virginia. The 1920 Sears Roebuck House provided an excellent backdrop for the Annual TCAG Membership Juried Exhibition which is open to the public to explore a wide range of art work. TCAG should be applauded for the longevity of its existence and the community support that keeps it operating.
As an artist myself, I appreciate art in any form, looking for the piece that grabs my attention right away, captivating my eye with its visual content, composition and presentation. This immediate response is truly subjective to the viewer, though important to the social impact of art. The beginning process of jurying starts with a much longer list of selections then narrowed down to the final awards. After several rounds of viewing, I evaluate the work in greater detail examining the technical skills, expression, composition, and design. It is more difficult to determine the true skill level when only one work of art per person is displayed, though it is often evident upon closer examination. It can be challenging to determine this, but the more exposure one has to art the greater the understanding of the various media.
The power of any artwork is to challenge the viewer to look further into its content, cause some emotional response or make a statement that has meaning beyond just the image. There is an appreciation and enjoyment mutually shared when a viewer and artist connect. The uniqueness of the work or exploration of a subject matter that might be considered old yet explored in a way that is refreshing or unexpected should be celebrated. Finally, while jurying the artwork it is important to understand what the artist is trying to portray with subject matter or express with visual content. My check list tallies the total impact for the final analysis. Each piece of artwork receiving an award has a poignant reaction attached to it. The final selections have been carefully reviewed to arrive at these choices. There were many additional works that deserve high praise and I encourage each of the artists to recognize that it was difficult to limit it to just 12 awards.
Artist Statement:
The observation of surrounding parks, inland woods have always been a part of my life growing up in Michigan. I spent countless hours observing its majestic and poetic grace. Walking along the shorelines of my beloved Lake Superior created a life long connection to nature and water shaping my creative development. These reflective observations were often collaborated with photography and led later to development in works of art in glass. This duality in my work has cultivated a partnership that allows me to capture a small part of a life I often missed. It really was as simple as that. The work to do that was much more intense to create. What the mind and heart knows, effortlessly, may take years to artistically decipher. I discovered that when my observations were slowed down through the viewpoint of a camera it could capture my visual interpretations. The single movement of a wave or the way light illuminates a particular space, became the muse to create art. It is important to be a witness to life plus share this experience in a way that transforms not only yourself, but other lives as well.
Biography:
Ali Rogan has been an award-winning artist and teacher for over 25 years. Since 1999 she has been owner of Cristallo, LLC. Ms. Rogan has been an instructor at the Governor’s School for the Arts, Norfolk, Virginia since 1998, Instructor/Faculty with the Contemporary Arts Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia since 1998 and adjunct instructor at The Chrysler Museum’s Hot Shop, Norfolk, VA, since 2012. She is a past President and Board Member of the Peninsula Glass Guild in Virginia and Board Member for Tidewater Community College, Portsmouth, Virginia. In 2003 Ms. Rogan received a Teaching Fellowship from the SURDNA Foundation, NY, NY. In 2007, she received the Peninsula Glass Guild of Virginia Glass Scholarship Award. She continues to teach a variety of glass workshops throughout Hampton Roads to help further the exploration of contemporary glass. Ms. Rogan pursues her personal studies in art at schools including Virginia Commonwealth University, Pilchuck Glass School, The Studio at Corning Glass Museum, Penland School of Crafts, and Tidewater Community College. She has studied glass under the guidance of Czech maestros Juri Harcuba and Martin Rosol, Japan’s glass casting pioneers, Shin-ichi and Kimiake Higuchi, Italian cameo engraver, Michaela Rinaldo, Seattle’s glass painting virtuoso, Cappy Thomspon, VCU’s past glass professor, Kent Ipsen, plus many others.
