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"Writing The Artist Statement"

Author: Carly Clements, Contributing Editor

We Face It With Fear

One of the most difficult things, as an artist, that I've had to do, is write an artist statement. Why is that
so difficult? you ask. Considering the fact that I only needed a few lines of text written to tell someone
who I am, what my art is all about, and why I created it, should have been quite simple. After all, who
would know better than I, the artist, the answers to all those questions! However, artists seem to be the
last who can put into words what their art is all about. We tend to run and hide at the mention of "an
artist statement" or we get very "grandiose" and come across as sounding pretentious.

Hopefully, this article will get you started on the way to putting thoughts and words to paper, bringing
order and simplicity to those thoughts, and to writing your very own "working" artist statement.

Before we begin formulating our statement, let's examine what an artist statement "is not". First of all,
it is "not" a biography of your life, nor is it a resume of every class and instructor in your art education.
Those things are important, but they should not be included in the artist statement.

And second, your artist statement should "not" tell viewers what they should feel or think about your
paintings. Statements such as, "my art will bring a smile to your face", or "you will love my abstract
style", are designed to tell the viewer what your expectations are for their feelings.

So then, what does the artist statement consist of and what is it supposed to do? Simply put, the artist
statement introduces your art to the viewer. No artist can be with every painting to answer questions all
the time, so the artist statement stands in for you. It gives the viewer answers to questions that they
might ask - Why did you paint that? What was your inspiration? How do you achieve that color?

Keys To A "Good" Artist Statement

1. Simplicity - Can everyone understand it?

If someone cannot understand what you're trying to say, they feel left out. The artist statement should
welcome everyone to explore your art, to join in your creative adventure, and simplicity is key.

Leave out "buzz words", "detailed art terminology", and "art speak". These might impress other artists,
but the person off the street who walks into a gallery to find a painting that speaks to them will feel like
you're talking a foreign language! Once you have their attention, then you can get more technical, more
philosophical, more emotional or even humorous.

Every time you think or talk about your art, write it down. Begin now to keep a list of these thoughts
for use later in the article and to use when you want to update your statement. You may even find that
you'll need several artist statements....one for a specific medium or to address the theme of a show or
one for a specific painting.

2. Content - Quantity or Quality?


The artist statement should be simple and "short". Two or three brief paragraphs at the most, and one or
two sentences, at the least. Content is far more important than length. See if you can answer these
questions in two short sentences......

- Who? are you.


- Why? do you make your art.
- How? do you make your art.
- What? does it mean to you.

Your story of how you got to this point in your art career may be interesting, but not to a viewer who
wants a simple introduction. Don't write the novel - when a simple intro is needed!

> Never dictate how others should feel about your work. For example, "when you view my artwork,
you will feel the sunlight..." or "when you see my art, it will lift your spirit".

> Do not use quotes from others about your work. This can be considered as boastful. Save the quotes
for your bio where they will be seen as "testimonials".

> Connect what your art says with "your vision", "your medium", and your "technique". In other
words, give the viewer an idea of what you're trying to accomplish with your art.

> Be specific! Avoid references that need an explanation. For example, "my favorite way of applying
paint is by scumbling". Sounds more like a term used for football, rather than painting.

> Don't compare yourself to other artists. A statement like "I paint like Van Gogh", will bring a "Yeah,
right!" from some smart guy but the laughter will effect others' perception of your art far more than his
statement.

> Get general feedback before you go public with your artist statement. Be sure its checked for
grammar and spelling! and listen to the feedback. Was it too difficult to understand? Simplify or clarify.

3. Preparation

Don't wait until the day before a show to write up an artist statement! Take a few weeks to prepare. Set
a date to have your thoughts collected and in order - make it a priority! If you have been writing down
your thoughts and words as mentioned above, you will already have an accumulation to work with.

Now, sit down and visualize your "internal critics"....and show them the door! Don't allow negatives
and self doubt to look over your shoulder every step of the way. It's okay to fill up the trash bin with
mistakes and poor writing. The fuller it becomes, the closer you will be to your goal.

4. Procedure

Write in first person. Don't talk about yourself....be yourself.

Here are some exercises to help you get started.

1. Pretend one of your paintings is speaking to you - write down what it says.
2. Pretend a friend who has never seen your art walks in - ask them to describe what they see.
3. Look across the room at a painting....write down the phrases that come to mind.
4. Write what you felt when you finished that challenge of water reflections or painting glass.
5. Write out comments that you've heard others make about your art. If you've kept a list, you should
have some of these already written out.

Are you relaxed? Now answer the following questions writing out the answers to add to your list.
Use short phrases or simple words - not long sentences.

1. Why do I paint?
2. How do I feel when the work is going well?
3. What are some words or phrases that describe my work?
4. What tool do I most enjoy working with? and Why?
5. What subject do I most enjoy? and Why?
6. What do I like best about the creative process?
7. How do I know when a painting is going well?
8. What patterns do I find in my work? Commonalities?
9. How has my work changed over the months? years?
10. What is my favorite color and why?
11. What two words jump out as describing my paintings?
12. Complete these statements in your own words.....
When I work with (insert your medium), I am reminded that the outcome depends on ___
I begin a piece by asking myself ______
I know a piece is finished when ______
When people see my work, I'd like them to _______

And last but not least, answer these questions.

1. Why do I do the work I do? What are my goals and aspirations?

2. How do I make decisions about my work? How and why do I select materials, techniques or themes?

3. How did my current work grow out of prior work? What am I exploring, attempting, challenging?

Making the Final Draft

Now, take all of those phrases and terms and cross out all the repetition! What terms do you see over
and over? Write those on another sheet of paper under "Repeated Terms". What questions have you
answered in the same way? Do you see a theme running thru your answers? Write it down. By now,
you have all the information you need to write out your artist statement but it will take several drafts to
find the one that works well to introduce your art.

Remember the four questions I ask at the beginning of this article?


Who? are you.
Why? do you make your art.
How? do you make your art.
What? does it mean to you.
Now is the time to use your phrases and words to answer the questions, keeping it simple and short.

Don't get frustrated. Give all that information time to jell. Sleep on it or have a long walk, then sit back
down and write it out. Read it several times over a period of a few days working out the kinks. You'll
find that you'll be simplifying it several times crossing out all those words that have little or no
meaning.

When you have a final draft, let a friend read it.

And remember to keep up with that list....you'll need a new artist statement in a few months when your
work has evolved, or a new show opens!

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