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Writing an artist statement |
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Why do we have to write artist statements?Of course, you want to make art that stands on its own merits, and doesn’t need to be explained, but there are a number of reasons why an artist statement can be useful.
"If I’d wanted to write, I’d have been a writer, not an artist"Why do we find it so difficult to write about our work? Is it because we are visual rather than verbal people? The paragraphs below explore some of the deep-seated reasons we have as artists for resisting the idea of writing artist statements. "What stops us from using words to describe our art, the same words that have been with us since we could walk? Why are we so suspicious of language, one of our fundamental connections to being human? The answer, in part, relates to a fatal combination of art critics and education. Art critics use language as sceptres of judgment; ... Formal education uses language as a means of control; we are taught when, where and how we can or cannot use which words, and, consequently, we grow to mistrust our relationship to language. The mistrust smoulders underground, mostly unnoticed, until our words are thrust into containers, like the artist statement. Suddenly, words make us visible targets for judgment and criticism. An opportunity to write an artist statement often causes us to second guess every idea we ever had about our work. We convince ourselves that we have nothing to say, or certainly nothing to say of value. Our first instinct is to either turn off the light and head out of the studio or ... to overwrite. But running away confirms our fears that there must be something to run away from. And [overwriting] encourages us to use flimsy or pretentious words to smooth over our mistrust of language. This, in turn, fuels our perception that language cannot adequately describe our art. Give yourself permission to make mistakes. Let yourself write badly. Crumple up lots of paper balls and throw them in a corner. That's the beginner's way. Then, when your statement comes out great, which it eventually will, you will know the difference." Ariane Goodwin Because of the difficulty most artists have with writing artist statements, it's a good idea to ease yourself into the task gently. Don't start writing your final statement right away. Instead, do a few practice runs, and begin the process with some timed writing exercises, where you feel that you can write whatever you like, without being under pressure.
Three timed writing exercisesThe purpose of these short exercises is to get you to write without hesitation, and to stop you worrying about issues like spelling, punctuation and grammar, all of which are better dealt with in a later edit anyway. NB: No-one but you will ever see anything you write in these exercises, and even you don't have to look at them again after you have written them, if you don't want to. The exercises are not about what you write, but the fact that you are writing. For all three, you need either pen and paper or a computer with word-processing software. Exercise 1: Warm up your writing muscles Working quickly and without thinking too much, write as if you are telling a good friend about your work. Don't worry about getting it all finished in the time you have, but don't procrastinate too much either. Whatever you have at the end of three minutes is fine. Don't fix it, edit it or delete it. Just save it, or fold it up and put it away if it is on paper. Make a list of all the reasons you don't want to write an artist statement, or think you shouldn't have to, or can't, or why you think it is counter-productive or just plain stupid. Don't evaluate or censor, just put them down on paper (or screen). Remember, no-one will ever see this stuff. At the end of two minutes, save what you have written, or, if it is on paper, fold it up and put it away. Exercise 3: Acknowledge your motivations for writing an artist statement
What to include in your artist statementBasically, it's your statement, so you get to decide. To be a useful tool however, you should consider including material that addresses the topics below: Purpose: Why have you made what you have made? Materials/medium: How do your materials and medium reflect your purpose? Historical/theoretical/critical framework: Has your work been informed by reading or other research? Are you dealing with an old idea in a new way? Are you drawing on a particular tradition in your work? The art world: Acknowledge other artists whose work has inspired yours, and demonstrate an awareness of artists working with similar concerns, but avoid comparing yourself with other artists. If you are finding the task of writing a statement difficult, why not start by coming up with a few key words or phrases under each of these headings, and build from there.
General tips
Formatting your statement
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