B Extraordinaire Gallery is proud to present the virtual Order/Disorder National Juried Art Exhibition 

Awards and Jurors' Comments

The jurors for the Order/Disorder show were extremely impressed with all the works in the exhibition, and with five pieces in particular. We awarded first place to Indiscernible Order by Jennifer Haro. Juxtaposing the order of repetitive, consistent stripes and the disorder of a seemingly random pattern, the work of art invites close looking to determine whether the colors and lines follow a certain logic or if they are just randomly organized.  The bright hues energize the quilt and captivate the viewer in a beautiful pattern that keeps your eyes moving across the quilt. 

Second place was awarded to Bryce LeFort’s Let’s meet back here, which contrasts a pliable natural element bent into seemingly endless swirls of energy with the cold and hard walls of a concrete backdrop. The neon light brings this contrast into sharp focus. 

Third place was given to Shirvan Prayer Rug by Paul Lee. We were impressed with the artist’s creative use of security camera photos, collaged into the recognizable pattern of a prayer rug. The piece invites critical thinking on an abstract level as well, compelling the viewer to consider how images used to maintain order can be used and/or manipulated without the subject’s knowledge. 

​The jurors also wished to give Honorable Mention to Aaron Krone’s Emotion, which expresses unrestrained emotion, and Michael LaRue’s Gateway West, which juxtaposes examples of progress from the past with the dissipation of order of the present.

Bravo to five impressive artists!

First Place Award 
"Indiscernible Order" by Jennifer Haro

Indiscernible Order, Quilting, 90" x 90" x 0.375", 2021, Jennifer Haro, NFS. At first glance, this quilt appears to be a random design, but upon closer inspection, it reveals four-fold rotational symmetry. Statement: Jennifer Haro is a Chicago-based quilt and fiber artist. Her quilts are modern and often rooted in traditional patterning, thus occupying the space of ‘modern traditionalism.’ Her work is about order, precision and pattern, starting with simple stripes and shapes to create shifts and illusions. Her upcoming work explores dimensionality in quilting, merging functional and sculptural design and intent.

Second Place Award
"Let's Meet Back Here" by Bryce LeFort

Let's Meet Back Here, Laminated poplar and neon light, 60" x 96" x 60", 2021, Bryce LeFort, $11,800. The individual line races across the piece to reach its destination while the structure and position give a sense that the object is in peril. The curving form unravels and is supported by the remanence. The outer layers of sculpture appear as shadow that produces a shell against the emerging volume. Statement: With the intersection between art and craft as its foundation, my work evolves through the honing of craftsmanship, developing of techniques and expanding the materials to apply them. As my art practice traverses across these aspects, it remains closely tied to my background. I grew up in or near the water all my life. The fluid forms in many of my sculptures combine the natural movement of wind and water with my career as a craftsman and boatbuilder. I treat every piece as an opportunity to highlight its individual component. One work creates potential for another in unexpected ways. From large installations to small wall mounted sculptures, movement is created through line, curves, and shadows. My art is a continuation of my craft removed from restriction. All my work is the manifestation of discovered potential for techniques and materials through a dedication to craftsmanship.

Third Place Award
​"Shirvan Prayer Rug" by Paul Lee

Shirvan Prayer Rug, archival inkjet print of digital photo collage, 35" x 28", 2015, Paul Lee, $880. Do security camera and other safety imaging devices make us feel more secure? Or their detailed and time-stamped freeze frame images faithful witnesses to the aftermath of violent events? This series of digital collages are inspired by images of violence captured on security cameras. As the cameras attempt to reveal the hidden identity of the perpetrators, their ubiquity also mask the fear that we all have come to accept in our daily lives. The series addresses the omnipresence of security surveillance cameras and how they desensitize our concerns for civil liberty. The domestic images of curtain fabric, quilts, wallpaper and rugs, things that we live with and often take for granted, become metaphors for how we are living with the constant presence of surveillance.

Honorable Mention Award
​"EMOTION" by Aaron Krone

EMOTION, Graphite and Charcoal, 27" x 22", 2018, Aaron .Krone, $1500. An older gentleman expressing deep emotions. Statement: Much of my work is autobiographical, incorporating family history and memories. I often find content in my immediate surroundings. The act of watching human activity blends into my art making as I try to capture relationships between the humans in my life. I strive to capture the essence of my subjects through showing their character and emotions. I am influenced by a number of artists including Richard Diebenkorn who said, “Reality has to be digested, it has to be transmuted by paint. It has to be given a twist of some kind.”

Honorable Mention Award
​"Gateway to the West" by Michael LaRue

Gateway to the West, photography, 14" x 11", 2020, Michael LaRue, $125. Gateway to the West in Saint Louis, Missouri. Statement: “My long life as a photographer is identical to my life as a musician. It’s all about capturing the daily moments of inspiration along with my lifelong passion for all art and music and communicating those ideas of what I visualize in my mind's eye and hear into the depths of my soul”. Michael Edwin LaRue