Author: Megan Coyle

August 6 – September 2, 2008
Art League Gallery; Alexandria, Virginia
Map and Gallery Info

Megan Coyle’s “Open Skies” collage was on dislpay in the Art League’s annual landscape juried exhibition. The group exhibition showcased the diversity in the approach to an old fashion subject matter – landscapes and cityscapes. Works ranged in materials, with mixed media pieces, paintings, photograhy, charcoal drawings, and more.

The exhibition was juried by Walter Bartman.

694 works of art were entered into the exhibition and only 158 were accepted.

The Art League created a juror’s statement with Walter Bartman. The statement included the following:

When Walter Bartman juries a landscape show, he seeks to select pieces that are atypical landscapes.  “If you’re going to paint landscape, you have to go beyond the obvious.”  Bartman felt that many of the pieces submitted were repetitive, ordinary renderings of water, sunsets, or trees.  He wanted to see more artists approaching “landscape” with a fresh, unanticipated point of view.

“I was looking for something unexpected, something surprising.  Landscape is all about the use of space.”  Pieces in which the artist uniquely used space, pattern, scale, and angles were some of the elements Bartman looked for.  In “Little Washington #2,” by John Mallos, Bartman was drawn to the play between abstraction and representation, scale, striking angles, and simplicity.

Unexpected color choices, like in Jane Hahler’s, “Before Dark, Lima Peru,” can add an emotional element to a work.  “In this painting, you can feel that you’re in the city and it’s a hot summer evening.”  The artist has succeeded in portraying a sense of mood. Awarded The Jay and Helen Risser Award, “Leftovers,” by Fred Markham, “is an example of a strong black and white piece, with strong tonal values that is beautifully done.  The perspective and angles in this piece are interesting.”

“North Shore Autumn,” by BJ Anderson, captured the Potomac Valley Watercolorists Award.  “This is a memorable piece.  Unique in perspective and scale, you don’t typically see landscapes like this.  Multiple layers of pigment were applied to achieve the intense saturation and vividness of color.  The artist was able to retain a sense of flatness which is interesting.”

Bartman has juried for The Art League several times, and has been critical of the work previously.  But this time he found the most variety of unique work he has seen at The Art League, and a group of highly competent artists.

He thought photography was among the weakest media, with many “snapshots” submitted and fewer abstracted, creative compositions presented.  However he did select and award an honorable mention to “New York Reflections” by Alexandra Scannell.  “I like the perspective and the break up of space in this piece,” he stated.

Bartman has worked in the Bethesda, MD area for over thirty years.  Nationally acclaimed landscape painter and instructor, he received his BA in Art Education from the University of Maryland and his MFA from American University.  He is the Founder and Director of the Yellow Barn Studio and Gallery at Glen Echo Park in Maryland.