A few weeks ago, a bunch of us ‘sawdust-breathers’ were discussing the judging at woodworking shows. We all know of judges who think a kit-built item should be able to win first place and judges who expect all our work to be of museum quality. Somewhere in between is a judge we all think is fair to both beginners and long-time woodworkers, and who understands that not all of us are professional wood workers.
Here is where I need your help. If your woodworking club (society, group, guild) has some sort of display/awards system AND has a formal ‘judging sheet’ could you e-mail (or snail-mail) me a copy of it? Please include the name of your group (and its e-mail address too. Aside from beginner, advanced and professional levil, what categories (details) do you use in judging a displayed product? How many points, 0 – 5, 0 – 10 or whatever do you award for each part of the product. I’m sure a formal sheet like this would be of help to beginners, informing them of what a judge is looking for, and a help to the old-timers to help them remember the smaller details of craftsmanship.
I’d like to have as many different sheets as possible so we could devise one that would suit the style our club. I’d be more than willing to post a copy for anyone who would like to see our final results.
Thanks in advance, SawdustSteve
Replies
Judging furniture is an incredibly subjective process. There are three points to consider when a piece is judged. Aesthetics, is the piece attractive? Engineering, is it well designed? Execution, is the woodworking good?
The weight placed on each can be prioritized for the purposes of judging but these lines have got to be flexible so that if the design on a particular piece is fabulous but the execution is poor allowances can be made.
I'm not familiar with any point system used but that does not mean they don't exist. When I've been asked to judge each of the three characteristics are weighed, a discussion between the judges ensues and the winner is determined in a very subjective way. One judge may hold aesthetics in very high regard while another may treasure execution.
Beauty is subjective by it's very nature. There are no hard rules that judges can follow. For what it's worth, I've been rejected in many shows and competitions and there are those out there that think I do decent work. Don't base your self appraisal on judges, they are as flawed and biased as you are. Do your work and bribe the judges. I'm a judge for an online jewelry box contest in which the deadline is a few weeks away. I'd love a cruise in the Carribean right after the first of the year. (hint, hint) Seriously, just work to your own standards, the cream always rises to the top.
Sgian ought to add his take on this now. He's judged a few things in his life.
Lee
Lee, I looked at this topic when it was first posted and thought it was an interesting question-- but I've been snowed under with work and put it on the back burner.
As you know I now teach the subject as well as being in business again on a part-time basis and writing articles every now and then when the mood takes me. And I've juried a few submissions for exhibition, competitions, etc..
As a teacher I have to assess submitted work on a regular basis-- students want marks and their marks go towards their furniture qualification. From a jurors point of view being asked to judge something is a bit like receiving a design brief-- what's the point of the exercise?
I always say to students, "Read the da*n brief." If the customer wants a coffee table there's no point in designing a dining table, but it's surprising how many students say, "The brief is too restrictive. I've got this great idea for a dining table and I really want to make it." My response to that is, "The project calls for a coffee table. How limited is your imagination, and do you want to fail this unit of study?"
I don't have a list of points to be checked off until I see what the organisers of the competition or exhibition are after. They have to tell me what their criteria for assessment are-- that's my brief. It has to be analysed by me and the important criteria noted.
Do I have to look for quality of construction? Are the submissions in response to a specific brief? Do I have to make allowances for the contestants skill as either a designer, maker, or both? If it's an exhibition, what do the organisers want to exhibit-- trinket boxes, bird boxes, or desks, and storage units?
Am I being asked to assess the knowledge and skill gained by an entrant? This could make a rank beginner win over an experienced practitioner whose submission is technically much more sophisticated-- the rank beginner has learnt a lot, whereas the experienced entrant recycled old skills.
I know I have to leave my personal style preferences outside the door when I'm judging work for this purpose. That can be hard. I don't have a checklist as sawduststeve was asking for. I just try to have an open mind. I like to view all the submissions quickly one after the other to get a feel for how the entrants have responded to the competition rules-- at this point I'll have already made a judgement of what the organisers of the competition or exhibtion are looking for.
From there you have to quickly whittle the submissions down a manageable number by rejecting the entries that obviously (to me anyway) missed the point. After that it's a case of balancing the strengths and weaknesses of each entry until you come up with a winner. If I am being asked to select a number of items for a show, I still try and rank them as those I'm very impressed by in some way, to those that interest me less, to the ones I don't like at all.
You're right. It can seem arbitrary and unfair to the entrants that don't win or are not selected. But as you say judges are as flawed as the rest of society. I try to be as fair as I can and that's the only way I know how to do it. Slainte. RJFurniture
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled