Body of Work Events

Mistress Jehanne d'Avignon

Within the Kingdom of Ansteorra there are several A&S events that are considered to be "body of work" events. Steppes Artisan and Laurel Prize Tourney are two annual events that are held in this format.

So What does Body-of-Work mean?

This is a display format where you are not limited in the number of items that you bring to display. It means that you have the opportunity to show off many or all of the items that you have created.

How many pieces should I bring for a Body-of-Work competition?

This is a bit more difficult to answer. The offhand answer is more than one item. You want to bring as many items as you can, but you do not want to bring practice pieces or items that do not represent you well. Four very good pieces of work are better than 15 mediocre pieces of work. Here are a few examples of types of body-of-work displays:

1. A single complex item, say an Elizabethan outfit - it sounds as though this is one item, but with undergarments, clothes, shoes, hat, and accessories, this would be a fine entry.
   
   
2. A progression of the same type of item - for example, a series of illuminated scrolls that show various types of illumination from different periods, or the same type of illumination showing a progression of more and more complexity in your artwork.
   
   
3. The dabbler display - many of us try various art forms over the years. This is probably the most common type of body-of-work display where there are: a hodge-podge of different items that you have created over time.

How do I display?

A body of work competition can be a lot of work for the artist to set up. Everything that you bring should be displayed in a pleasing manner. This is another reason to be discriminating in the items that you bring. As stated above, four nice items that are decoratively displayed are much more pleasing than 15 items tossed out on a table.

What kind of feedback can I expect?

In a body-of-work competition, such as Steppes Artisan, the judges are judging to determine a winner, not necessarily to provide you with a lot of commentary on your items. If you are entering a body-of-work competition, do not expect a lot of commentary.

In Ansteorra, Laurel Prize Tourney is a body-of-work display. It is not a scored competition. This event is specifically designed for artisans to display the breadth and depth of their arts, in a non-competitive environment, and get feedback from the Laurels. As the Laurels visit your display, they will want to provide you with as much information as they can to help you further your arts, so you really want to bring your notepad to this event.