A disappointed sigh

I get most of my materials from Jacksons and today I received their newsletter which featured the winners of their Emerging Artist Prize 2018. https://www.jacksonspaintingprize.com/emerging-artist-prize-winners?utm_campaign=836072_Newsletter_2018_12_14_JAS_Colour&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Jackson%27s%20Art%20Supplies&dm_i=42I2,HX48,2IKID1,1XPBY,1 Now, I’ll get all my qualifying and mitigating statements out of the way first. 1. As with open exhibitions, competitions such as this can only select from what is put forward and what is put forward may or may not be representative of, so to speak, what is out there. 2. Also I recognise that my comments (when I get to them) are my opinion and other opinions are available. However I recall having similar feelings about both this and other prizes in the past, which is what has prompted me to make the forthcoming observations. 3. It may also be the case that there is other information behind any or all of the works that my have influenced the choices but that I am not aware of. 4. My remarks, if directed at anyone, are directed at the judges rather than the artists. There are three categories—painting, drawing and printmaking—and with the exception of the drawing category I struggle to see the reasons behind the choices. For the painting category I can only say that for me there are two or three more exciting works in the shortlist. All of the drawings are highly representational and photo-real to varying degrees but were I one of the judges, I would have made the same choice I think; I’m sure the actual judges will be very relieved to hear this. I have done a little printmaking, but I’m not very knowledgeable I admit, but neither am I a total ignoramus. Almost half of the print entries are what I would term illustrative which is not intended to imply that this should in some way disqualify them nor to diminish them in any way. But I do find it disappointing although I couldn’t say a lot about why other than that in my limited experience I have seen prints that are much more exciting, but see 2 above (and 1). Most disappointing though is the People’s Choice. There are three and all three are paintings of photographs, by which I mean that every attempt has been made to imitate a photograph and hide any ‘painterly’* qualities. This is so disappointing to me because, given that the competition is organised by an artist’s materials supplier, I would assume that the ‘people’ are involved in art in some way or other, otherwise why would they be looking at an artist’s materials site? Two of the three People’s Choice winners are pastel works and are a triumph of technique over…well, over anything else at all for me, but see qualifier no. 2 (and 4). I am entitled to say though, that if it is the case that this is representative of what the people want, I find that very disappointing and a little bit sad. * I’m aware here of another thread, but painterly is an appropriate, and the best term here I think.