This my fifth games day is my last U.k. games day .I have met so many of you great people up there over the past 5 years I wanted to set the record straight as to why I am leaving this particular arena of model making.
Firstly it has nothing to do with sour grapes or not doing well, I have won something every year I have gone .Its is however all to do with the system!
As I have said with boring regularity on this site I originally come from the parallel universe of Military Modelling ,In that small and often petty world I am a \"world master\" and an International judge.My experience in figures runs into decades ( please forgive me if I sound arrogant ,or like some sort of Yoda figure)but I feel I should qualify my reasons by validating my opinions with letting you know I have a lot of experince in the figure making/painting world.
I also dont want this to degenerate into another G.W. rant /bash either.
So this is why I am going( at last ! I hear you sigh).I wholeheartedly disagree with the judging system used at U.k,G.Ds.
All the military modelling shows around the world I know of have ditched the first 3 past the post system, .They now give Golds for a standard of excellence,silvers for the next level down and so on. WHY, you ask!Because we realised the standards are so high ,the talent so great, to pick 1 gold ,1 silver ,1 bronze was a joke.When the art work is so awesome and you try and pick out just 3 winners negative judging takes place.
(I.E. pesonal preferance,styles acceptable to the judge,favourite periods ,races,even colours.Or at its worst the pushiest judge with the biggest mouth ends up declaring which is the winner),all these things begin to creep in.
As you can begin to realise this does not really do JUSTICE to the artists in question.
Know comes the most controversial part,G.W. has, as the show organisers and a buisiness, serious problems hosting and funding a figure competition fairly.Ultimately they cannot encourge this as an Art form (Creative,Imaginative) because the winners HAVE ,I repeat ,HAVE to be Identifiable G.W, products.
This means bridling and narrowing what is allowed to be seen as a \"WINNER\".
You cannot encourage fantasy Art which by its very nature is about Imagination and pushing the boudaries ,then only pick winners that symbolise the Image your company wants to promote.
The 2 things are in direct conflict with each other .You are not really encouraging an Art form ,you are manipulating it for your own financial ends! Which surprise, surprise is all about money!:
I am not trying to make G.W out to be some evil buisiness empire ,its just the way it has to be for them as a Buisiness. When money talks,honour walks!
I wrote to them a couple of years back explaining the \"Open System,\" of judging ..Going into detail as to how this would encourge the art form and in turn got a very polite brush off letter back.
So as you can appreciatte I cannot honestly support this system any longer.
Add to that the fact I am one of the judges at Euromilitaire who has lobbied for a fantasy class to be introduced,(which has now been added.)You can see the only decent thing for me to do is vote with my feet
Euro is also a weekend event in Folkestone ,so lends itself to more socialising with fellow Hobbiests, another thing that 6 hours at the N,E,C doesnt really facillitate.
So its ......so long ,,,farewell ,,,,,aufveidersein,,,GOODBYE
P.S. I gave away my statues because as a 47 year old family man I think they are a bit gross and childish(not to mention cheap).
GOD BLESS ..................Adie \"VINCENTI\"Bay
Firstly it has nothing to do with sour grapes or not doing well, I have won something every year I have gone .Its is however all to do with the system!
As I have said with boring regularity on this site I originally come from the parallel universe of Military Modelling ,In that small and often petty world I am a \"world master\" and an International judge.My experience in figures runs into decades ( please forgive me if I sound arrogant ,or like some sort of Yoda figure)but I feel I should qualify my reasons by validating my opinions with letting you know I have a lot of experince in the figure making/painting world.
I also dont want this to degenerate into another G.W. rant /bash either.
So this is why I am going( at last ! I hear you sigh).I wholeheartedly disagree with the judging system used at U.k,G.Ds.
All the military modelling shows around the world I know of have ditched the first 3 past the post system, .They now give Golds for a standard of excellence,silvers for the next level down and so on. WHY, you ask!Because we realised the standards are so high ,the talent so great, to pick 1 gold ,1 silver ,1 bronze was a joke.When the art work is so awesome and you try and pick out just 3 winners negative judging takes place.
(I.E. pesonal preferance,styles acceptable to the judge,favourite periods ,races,even colours.Or at its worst the pushiest judge with the biggest mouth ends up declaring which is the winner),all these things begin to creep in.
As you can begin to realise this does not really do JUSTICE to the artists in question.
Know comes the most controversial part,G.W. has, as the show organisers and a buisiness, serious problems hosting and funding a figure competition fairly.Ultimately they cannot encourge this as an Art form (Creative,Imaginative) because the winners HAVE ,I repeat ,HAVE to be Identifiable G.W, products.
This means bridling and narrowing what is allowed to be seen as a \"WINNER\".
You cannot encourage fantasy Art which by its very nature is about Imagination and pushing the boudaries ,then only pick winners that symbolise the Image your company wants to promote.
The 2 things are in direct conflict with each other .You are not really encouraging an Art form ,you are manipulating it for your own financial ends! Which surprise, surprise is all about money!:
I am not trying to make G.W out to be some evil buisiness empire ,its just the way it has to be for them as a Buisiness. When money talks,honour walks!
I wrote to them a couple of years back explaining the \"Open System,\" of judging ..Going into detail as to how this would encourge the art form and in turn got a very polite brush off letter back.
So as you can appreciatte I cannot honestly support this system any longer.
Add to that the fact I am one of the judges at Euromilitaire who has lobbied for a fantasy class to be introduced,(which has now been added.)You can see the only decent thing for me to do is vote with my feet
Euro is also a weekend event in Folkestone ,so lends itself to more socialising with fellow Hobbiests, another thing that 6 hours at the N,E,C doesnt really facillitate.
So its ......so long ,,,farewell ,,,,,aufveidersein,,,GOODBYE
P.S. I gave away my statues because as a 47 year old family man I think they are a bit gross and childish(not to mention cheap).
GOD BLESS ..................Adie \"VINCENTI\"Bay
