Tomorrow is the deadline for handing in work for the biennial Bradford Open art exhibition. My work was represented in the 2011 show. I didn’t make in in 2013, and suspect strongly that my offering offended the hyper-sensitivity of the jury on matters of political correctness. Despite that glitch I recognise that it is definitely worth making the effort. The Bradford show, displayed in the city’s Cartwright Hall museum, is conspicuously better than any of the other local authority competitive shows in the region …. including Leeds. The problem is, what should I offer? This evening I’m getting stuck into the task of making my choice, and it’s a devil of a problem.
I am permitted to submit three items to the competition, and I’ve made as preliminary list of ten. The next stage in the process might well involve a strategic choice as to whether I offer a group that have a common stylistic and thematic character, or whether I simply go for three pieces that I think are relatively strong in their own right. Had I not put off the decision for quite so long it might have been possible to ask one of my artist friends to come round and offer a comment. It’s rather short notice now. My wife is normally a very helpful critic, but she has gone out to the theatre with a friend. I feel like one of the suitors in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, facing the choice between the three caskets. The fateful choice is down to me!
Possibly the next step is to get off the racks on which I keep my pictures, all the items on my short list, arrange them around the large spare bedroom, and take a long, hard look. This is not going to be easy.