Best In Show.  Christine Alfery "Summer Grasses"  Mixed Media

Christine Alfery's piece "Summer Grasses" is an expressive take on the traditional still life/landscape painting motif.  Bright circles of color dance within deep black scrawls, while black and white stripes dart between drippy white washes.  The aggressive marks create dense pockets of activity and then die out into the white void.  The painting easily slips between abstraction and representation and then back, revealing new depths with each visit.  The evidence of the artist's hand is present throughout the piece, from frantic gestures to long finger swipes through the background.  The personal scale of the piece creates a one-to-one relationship with the viewer, confronting you as you stand before it.  I felt compelled to trace the artist's hand, retracing the record of activity.  The overall painting mixes a formal grace with direct application of the materials to create stunning and mature work.  "Summer Grasses" is my choice for Best in Show for tackling a traditional subject and imbuing it with a skillfully-executed and fresh perspective. 

Judge Scott Stullen, MFA

Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota.