In reviewing this round of applicants for I Like Your Work, I found everything I personally love to see as a curator: explorations of color from subtle gradients between soft pastels to flamboyant bursts of neon, experimentation with layered textures and materials, and a clear dedication to craft and presentation.

 

First and foremost, I must congratulate all of the artists who shared their work with me. This was by far one of the most difficult submission pools I’ve ever been tasked with narrowing down, and I went back and forth between the yes, no, and maybe categories several times. 

 

What also made this curation challenging was that unlike in past jurying events, I didn’t see a particular theme or subject matter emerge that felt like it truly connected all of the artists I ended up selecting. So what, then, does unite them? Their voices. When I look at an artist’s body of work for the first time, as much as I value their technical skill and the overall impact of the imagery and composition, what I feel makes them truly stand out is if I can identify their distinct style, their creative hand, and a cohesive narrative that carries through all of the pieces they present. In other words, their artist voice. Which brings us to the title ‘Espirit de l’escalier’, meaning a witty remark or response you think of only after the opportunity to make it has passed. I chose the title because unlike this French phrase, these artists know exactly what they want to say and have boldly and earnestly expressed themselves with their work. I can’t wait to see all of these artists in conversation with each other.

 

Separately, a heartfelt thank you to Erika for extending this opportunity to me and to Gloria for assisting throughout the process. It was a pleasure!

 

Cheers,
 

Alicia Puig