A Critique of the PAOTY Series 2024

The level of concern expressed  this year about the outcome of Portrait Artist of the Year prompts thoughts about 

• how much this relates to the artists - and 
• how much to the programme format; the objective of the programme; guidelines and criteria for assessment and the actual judging.

As a result, I've decided to do an extra 'final' post this year - about the way in which Portrait Artist of the Year works and to highlight some serious concerns.

The Final: final portraits

The programme formula - and Judges - have now remained the same for over 10 years. In my opinion it's no longer "up to snuff"in terms of:

• PAOTY Formula and format: about the participants, the design and format of the competition
• Objectives, Criteria and Judging: 
• the clarity of the judging criteria - and its communication to contestants
• the rigour expected of the judging
• the relevant expertise of the judges - in comparison to other shows
• Conduct of the Competition & Duty of Care / Wellbeing - expectations about the conduct of such competitions and regulatory compliance
• OFCOM and informed consent
• Guidelines and Policies about Duty of Care to support Participants
• Risk management and mitigation measures

So let's get down to business.... This has been a marathon and this post is a long one - for which I do not apologise - but you might want to go and make yourself a cup of tea first!

(PS I could probably write the short version in a couple of days - because, as they say, the short version takes longer! I might come back and provide a synopsis up front)

PAOTY Formula and Format

Is it really a show about an art competition? Or is it an entertainment programme?

It certainly has heats, heat winners and a final and a winner - but does it work the way other such programmes work on television?

The participants

One of the reasons people got very agitated by the result of PAOTY 11 was that a very established professional artist who has exhibited internationally and been selected five times for the BP Portrait Award and was producing good portraits which had been praised by the Judges was deemed to not be as good as a young artist who only took up portrait painting very recently.

It was felt to be grossly unfair as it felt like the decision was a whim (of which more later - under Criteria and Judging)

If there is anything more guaranteed to deter professional portrait artists from taking part then that is it. 

I've noticed how the calibre of participant has deteriorated over the course of the last 11 years.  Indeed in some years, it's been very apparent that the competition while not lacking entries has lacked enough people of the right calibre. Could the number of entries be influenced by what happens in the show and how it is judged? I think that's very likely.

• Back at the beginning it attracted members of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters (RP) - but now we only get amateurs who have been selected from the open entry for the RP Annual Exhibition. 
• For years I've been highlighting that those who were after fame and a boost for their CV who said they were "professional artists" were nothing of the sort. (Not that I say so explicitly but the clues are there)
• Interestingly during that time it has ignored very competent portrait painters in heats who have subsequently become members of the RP

One of the aspects which distinguishes PAOTY from other shows is that others specifically stipulate that if you are a professional you cannot take part. In other words, if you make serious money from the activity covered by the programme, then you cannot take part.