Judging art works - my way of doing it

When I was asked to assess the art works of a competition recently I was really overjoyed. At the same time I knew in art it is the perception that is based on your cultural and emotional conditioning of minds that makes you understand and analyse the works unlike in science in which we use certain rules. That is why using several members of Jury coming from various backgrounds helps in making some sort of justice to the process in art.
When you give a theme to artists, each artist thinks and responds differently. This whole process is really enchanting. That is why we see so many different ways of interpreting one subject.
However, when a jury member sees a work of art, if s/he thinks ' 'oh I have seen this type of work before' your work has already lost the race. That is what I thought about some of the works here.
"Creativity" and "art" should define a work. While showing something 'in a new light' defines the word creativity, taking you to the arenas the artist went to -to create the work and making you feel what s/he felt defines one way the word 'art' itself.
I tried to be as neutral as possible without seeing the names and descriptions first to assess the works. Later of course I have seen both the names and read all that described these works. To my surprise I realized what I understood about the art of some of the best works was exactly what the artists wanted to convey. That according to me is real success of creating art. Those works stood first ( other judges might have other parameters to judge the works. But as far as I am concerned, I have done full justice using my parameters).
One such excellent work of art is "wind" by Vered Terry. At first when you look at it, it looks quite ordinary. It is monochromatic without much colour. But when I started looking at it more intensely, the work opened a dialogue with me! It took me to the very scene the inspiration was derived from. I felt every emotion the artist felt. I felt one with the work in the end! This is the best work of the competition. Then I realized the artist had won another theme competition too here earlier. The artist understands the definition of art in all its splendor. Pure and simple.

"Wind" ( Dance of the wind ): A while ago a bushfire severely burnt the valley I’ve been painting for years. It was then I realized how I humanized nature and how I identified with it. I moaned these neighbours and friends, I could not work for months. Then I held myself together and went out to document and paint the stripped valley with its corpses of trees and ashes. Then winter came alone with her rains and new green, trees came out from the dead and started new lives. For the “Dance” theme I drew the almost naked trees dancing with the wind. I looked at them and saw they were celebrating. I drew with pencil on paper to make it simple. (original pencil drawing on paper).

Another good work is by Asha. I felt as if I was watching the splendor of dance before me. It took me to the theater and made me watch it. The presentation was very lively.

The third place goes to dance Macabre by Pushkin EH. Lovely theme and presentation. But I felt I have seen this before. That is how it has to settle in the third place.

There are other things we would have to consider to judge the works. Some win and some lose. Don't take them to heart artists, learn the lessons and try to incorporate these things while creating art the next time. There is always a 'next time'. All the best to you. ( And this is not the final list). This is just my list of winners!