The juror for The Elements exhibition is Scout Hutchinson, Curatorial Fellow at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. It occurred to me that it might be informative to have her discuss her process as a juror. I was looking for information that could potentially help artists decide which pieces to submit. I was pleased that Scout was amenable to the idea and responded to these questions I asked her about her work as a juror and this exhibit in particular.
1. What interested you about this theme, The Elements.
For a few years now, my research has centered around work that engages with land, weather, and the elements as material and subject. While my master's thesis focused on Land art from the 1960s and 1970s (analyzing these earthworks in relationship to events of the contemporaneous Red Power movement), I am equally excited by how contemporary artists are expanding our understanding of place-based art today. This exhibition's theme is especially pertinent given the current climate crisis—how are the elements as we've understood them shifting, and what does the future of weather look like? I'm looking forward to seeing what submitting artists are thinking about in terms of the elements!
2. Do you recommend that submissions are consistent in media, with similar colors and style, so the art is seen as a body of work.?
Not necessarily! I think this could work for some bodies of work, but certainly not all. I would encourage artists to submit whatever works they feel strongly about while still relating to the "Elements" theme.
3. How important is scale? Do you have tricks for seeing the impact of scale from digital images?
It can be a challenge to determine scale from digital images of work, but that is the nature of reproductions! Having the dimensions is always helpful.
4. Do you review all of the work and then make selections based on the pieces that “work well” together?
I like to evaluate each artists' submission individually, looking for work that is both strong on its own while still closely aligning with the exhibition theme.
5. What are your areas of greatest expertise and interest?
My background is in modern and contemporary American art with a particular focus on art of the 1960s and 1970s. Though I am currently working closely with works on paper as a Curatorial Fellow at the Whitney, I am also interested in performance, film and video, sound, and installation. I have always had a special interest in art that pushes the boundaries between media (photography and sculpture in particular), artist collectives, and site-specific work.
Thank you, Scout. I can't wait to see how this show comes together. Don't delay, the deadline for submitting work is March 13. Submit here.
