This show is about fans so let’s talk about fans:
The ability to move air at will was solved with the creation of the fan. They long ago moved from being strictly utilitarian and took on societal, cultural and artistic significance and their forms are myriad. Some fans have blades, others have pleats. Some are fans are highly decorated. If you are from the south, your fan may have the name of the local funeral home on it. There is a language of the fan; they were once indispensable to the art and conversation of flirting. Fans are part of dances, ceremonies, and rituals, and while the artistry that goes into making some fans is breathtaking, the workhorses of the fan family are no less interesting and important.
This is not a media specific show. Paintings, photographs and – even better, actual fans are eligible for entry. There are a few requirements for this show. If the entry submitted is a depiction of a fan, the fan should be, if not the focus of the piece, then very prominent in the piece. This is because it is the fans themselves are the subject of this show as opposed to how they were used or who used them. How you wish to depict them is entirely up to you. Fans are very familiar items and we encourage you have fun exploring your imagination and to think past the default depictions.
The other option for entry is to make a fan. It doesn’t matter what kind of fan you make or what you make it from. It can be a manual or powered fan and as simple or as elaborate as you wish. It can be paper on a stick or a delicately folded fan. If you want your fan powered by hamster wheel that's ok, too. It is required that your fan be functional. Fans may be created from old and recycled fans – both manual and current driven. As it is very easy to just paint a blade or draw on an old fan, we request that if a recycled fan is used that at least roughly 1/3 of the fan should be altered.
An artist's statement is required with every entry for your work to be eligible. This statement should include information about your fan. Tell us about the materials and process you used to create your entry and something about why you chose to create or depict your fan in the manner that you did. If the fan in your entry is unique, historical, artist made or powered by wheels, pulleys, etc. – please tell us about it and/or how it works. Your statement is an important element in presenting your work online and helps make your work more accessible for the viewer. We encourage you to share detail shots of your fan. As some entries will be three dimensional, this will allow the viewer to appreciate the entire fan as well as the small details of all entries. Eligible entries need to meet all points of the prospectus. If you have any questions regarding the prospectus and its requirements, please send them to edu@ebsqart.com.
