How to Write an Artist's Statement
Artist statements can serve several purposes. First and foremost, they function as a way of clarifying your experiences and goals as an artist. They are effective marketing tools that can be posted during a gallery show, distributed during open studios, and included in any websites or online galleries. An artist's statement is useful when applying for grants, jobs, scholarships or schools, because much of its information can be used to address application questions. Journalists and gallery owners may refer to your information when writing about the show.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Notebook
- Examples or photographs of your artwork
- Sample artist statements
Instructions
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Work from your strengths. Because most artists think visually, organizing their thoughts into written form can be challenging. Review some of your work, and then sketch out your ideas in a notebook, either with images, clippings from magazines, or words. Talk with a friend about your artwork and jot down notes from the conversation. Compare your ideas with statements written by your favorite artists, or from those posted online. Writing is the same as visual art in that brainstorming can produce valuable insights.
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Make it active. Use strong verbs, and don't let the text get weighed down with terminology or obscure references. Write in the first person, rather than the third person. It's better to say "In my mixed media assemblages, I critique consumerism and celebrity-obsessed pop culture," than "Her work recalls the deconstructionist methodologies employed by the Rutgers van Sturgiss group."
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Organize your writing into themes. While an artist statement is not the same as an artist biography or a resume, it can contain brief information about your education and influences, as well as your exhibitions, awards and publications. Another section should address your style, themes, materials, process, techniques or subjects. Every sentence in your statement should somehow relate to your art. The whole document should not be longer than one page.
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Read and revise your writing. Have a friend read the artist statement, or try reading it out loud. Note any gaps in information. What many viewers of your art will want to know is why you do your work and how you do your work, because often these are the processes that are not immediately obvious.
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Check your tone. Avoid apologies such as "These are just my first explorations into the form" or novice statements such as "I was trying to show how to address this issue." Take ownership of your work and its message: "I reveal the dark underbelly of of childhood nursery rhymes" or "My work questions people's assumptions about race and class."
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Remember that your artist statement should change over time. If you create a new body of work, the content of your artist statement should shift to address that series. If you're participating in a theme show, you may wish to alter the statement so that it reflects your thoughts on that theme.
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Tips & Warnings
Vary your sentence structure and length.
Make paragraphs about three sentences long.
Check to make sure every sentence doesn't start with "I" or "my."
