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Description

Juror’s Statement:

Thank you to all the artists who submitted work to The Poetry of the Ordinary. It was truly an honor and pleasure to review so many wonderful photographs. I thank you for your dedication to the medium, participation in our community, and for sharing the way in which you see and feel the world.

Thank you also to PhotoPlace Gallery for entrusting me to jury the The Poetry of the Ordinary exhibition. It was an extremely challenging endeavor to whittle down from a very large number images representing a full spectrum of ordinary moments, to the selected images included in the Gallery and Online exhibitions.

I approach any jurying assignment with serious consideration of content, composition and craft at the forefront of my mind. For this exhibition, my intention was to create a cohesive, thoughtful and engaging exhibition encapsulating the rhythms of our ordinary lives.

I first reviewed all the submissions without assigning value. The images that resonated with me most and stirred an emotion whether it was laughter, joy, peace, longing, or contemplation, I went back to first and selected. In the next phase, I chose images which lingered in my mind and I found myself excited to see again and again. In the final phase, I included the selection of images which were playful, unique or risky interpretations of the theme.

For the Juror’s Award, I selected an image that embodies for me a domestic, decisive moment: a young girl, balanced on the edge of the pink bathroom sink, reaching for the faucet. While this image captures a simple moment in the life of this child, her parents are witnessing their daughter’s growing independence. In addition, the artist submitted an entire portfolio of images which all had a strong sense of composition, attention to light and unique points of view. I only wish I could have included more of her work. For the Director’s Award, I chose a wonderful image of a flowing plastic green curtain and green balloons. The image immediately registered for me a sense of wonder and playfulness. The simple gesture of wind activated the photograph.

Congratulations to the three artists selected as Honorable Mentions. Their images all had a strong sense of intention, unique perspective, and a thoughtful use of color and light.

I hope this selection of images causes you to slow down and soak in what we all might unconsciously take for granted — the spill of light across a surface, our shared desire to connect with someone, the found or constructed still life, and the spaces in which we all want to move through and experience ever so slowly.

— Sarah Sudhoff