Competition Judging
I cannot comment about how other clubs or professional judges go about their
business; but these thoughts and comments might help members to understand
some of the decisions which we make in our club. So here goes!
Competition Items are chosen / planned by a team of three or four with the
committee controlling the final choice. They are planned to lead through the
range of spindle, faceplate and chuck work progressively with a range of
interesting and more challenging items to make. The progressive challenge being
to encourage and develop your turning skill and understanding of wood as a
material as well as developing an “artistic eye”.
Judging awards marks to indicate the standard achieved in the various
marking categories. The Judges use a check list to provide a degree of
objectivity into the process; but inevitably some subjectivity has to be exercised in
some areas. We are always ready to explain our marking decisions.
When possible we add comments to the novice/intermediate marks which we
hope to be helpful and constructive to identify what we perceive to be problems or
errors which detract from a better result.
Who Matters? An odd question perhaps. For whom is the item being made
and are there secondary considerations?
For a competition The judge matters. What is he looking for? What would
YOU look for in a competition piece? Perfection! Style! Originality! Feel!
Continuity! Aesthetics! Utility! Some factors are not mutually exclusive.
For a Present What will they be looking for? Did they request it, or is it
spontaneous? ....Is he/she a wood turner? This will affect their point of view. A
finished product can suffer from a range of characteristics; they may be liked or
disliked in a range of combinations. Consider likes and dislikes in relation to:
surface/grain finish, high gloss, matt, oiled, raw wood, natural wood, paint,
varnish, roughened finish, smoothness of touch, smell. Amongst other things,
utility and smell need to be considered together. How many of your non-
woodturning friends read “woodturning” and feel the inside and outside of the
bottom of a bowl
For a Craft Fair You are in the business of quick, cheap turnover, simple
ornamenting, minimum time spent on adding value, but consistent quality of
turning.
Gallery Work Now this is a different kettle of fish. high quality turning.
Perfection. Expensive wood, slow turnover. Quality and decoration call for high
added value.
Finally let us equate craft skill with art. This is part of the judgment task. A
competition asks for an item to display your craft competence, aesthetic and
possibly utilitarian input.
So let me leave you with a last thought, Is craft (in our case woodturning) an end
in itself; or is it a means to an end, that is to producing “artistic,” be it aesthetic or
utilitarian?
Eric Warnecke
