Meridian Arts and Sciences

Kingdom Arts and Science Faire 2007 - Static Judging

(Updated July 11, 2007)  

STATIC JUDGING FORM

The guidelines below for each element are not all inclusive, and each guideline may not apply to every entry. Judges are encouraged to use their own discretion and flexibility in applying the guidelines, as and when necessary.

DOCUMENTATION : Documentation describes the printed and/or copied resources that accompany an entry and provide information on how the item was constructed, its style, and the materials used. Things you should consider when assessing documentation include:

• Is there documentation? If not, the entry is disqualified per published rules.
• Is there a bibliography of sources used and/or cited?
• Are primary, secondary, and/or tertiary sources and Web sites effectively documented and appropriate for the entry?
• How well does the documentation support the major and minor points/elements of the piece? (Does the artist cover all the basics, such as a style, color, material, and so on by referring to certain sources or his/her own experiments?)
• Is the documentation coherent, legible, and easy to follow? (At the minimum, there should be some clearly labeled visuals as well as narrative descriptions.)
• Is it well organized? Is there too much or not enough information?
• Did the documentation answer any/all questions you had?
• If there is minimal extant evidence or source material available to directly document the piece, did the entrant use peripheral sources well? Were theories and logic leaps well supported and documented?
• Could the documentation have been improved? If so, how?

  Score (1-5)

AUTHENTICITY : Authenticity describes how “period” the entry is. An entry may well have logical and reasonable substitutions of modern materials or methods instead of period ones (for purposes of cost effectiveness, material availability, handling/disposal of hazardous materials, time and/or labor constraints, etc.) Things you might consider with the authenticity portion of scoring include:

• Does the piece have a period “feel” and appearance, with no blatant modernities?
• Is the piece “internally consistent” (i.e., are the construction and themes consistent to a specific culture, time, era, and style? An example might be “Late Elizabethan Silk Coif with Blackwork, circa 1588”)?
• Were period tools/methods/materials used (i.e., quill pens rather than fountain pens; appropriate hand tools rather than power tools; and so on)?
• Does the use of authentic tools/methods/materials detract from the overall appearance and feel of the piece, or do they enhance it?
• Are authentic tools/methods/materials used correctly?
• Are there good and reasonable substitutions made? Has the artist fully explained why the substitution was made and why he/she chose that substitution over other possible choices?
• Does the use of modern tools/methods/materials detract from the overall appearance and feel of the piece, or do they enhance it?
• Could the authenticity of the piece have been improved, within reasonable and safe limits? If so, how?

Although the use of substitutions, when done correctly, should not be grounds to reduce a score, entrants are advised that they should strive to be as authentic as they possibly can to the limits of their resources and the media with which they work.

Score (1-5)

Comments:

TECHNIQUE AND ARTISTRY : This aspect of evaluating an entry looks specifically at the construction of the piece – how it was produced and how successful the artist was at constructing the item. Factors you might consider in assessing the entry within this parameter include:

• Consider the materials the artist used. Have they been used neatly and with precision?
• What about the form and design of the entry? Would it have been aesthetically pleasing in its period (based on the body of work available for study)?
• Is the piece functional as intended? For example, if it is a piece of combat armor, would it have offered protection as expected?
• Does the entry show mastery, skill, and knowledge of the period style?
• Is the construction sound?
• Were the processes used to create the entry identical or similar to period processes? If not, are there good and reasonable substitutions of modern for period processes, styles, designs, color choices, and so on?
• If there was extrapolation, was it logical, reasonable, and well supported?
• Is the piece well balanced, proportioned, and properly finished?
• Could the technique and/or artistry of the piece be improved? If so, how?

Score (1-5)

Comments:

COMPLEXITY : Complexity describes the difficulty and challenge in creating the piece of art. It encompasses the skill and detail of the ATTEMPT more than the actual execution and workmanship. An attempt to produce a highly complex piece perhaps deserves a greater recognition, but this varies among the arts. Keep in mind that the complexity of the piece should be considered within the context of its genre, NOT the complexity of other entries in the faire. Things you might consider when looking at complexity include:

• What was the attempted level of ambition?
• Were there many steps, techniques, and/or processes involved?
• Were the materials, techniques, and/or processes individually challenging to use?
• Were the composition and design elements difficult or intricate to employ, requiring skill and attention to detail?
• Was extensive preparation required in one or more of the production processes?
• Were a variety of skills and a breadth of knowledge and competence evident in the entry?
• Seemingly “simple” elements or pieces may require a high level of skill, patience, discipline, and craftsmanship. Look beyond the surface, and do not dismiss “simple” elements or pieces out of hand as lacking complexity. Years of practice and training to achieve a final result may be considered.
• In period, many finished pieces were completed by a team of artisans. Do not fault an artisan for NOT completing every single step in the finished piece, IF the artisan has documented which processes he/she performed, not performed, and why.
• Evaluate complexity with regards to the specific period genre, processes, designs, etc., not to the complexity of other pieces entered.
• Could more complexity have been included in the entry? If so, how?

Score (1-5)

Comments:

JUDGES: _________________________________________________________________________

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