Discussion # 15 - Artist Statements

WRITING AN ARTIST STATEMENT
Chose one of your favorite projects you completed in this class and write your own artist statement explaining your project, why you designed it the way you did and what it represents. BE SURE TO INCLUDE A MINIMUM OF 5 CONTENT SPECIFIC ART VOCABULARY WORDS IN YOUR STATEMENT! Post your artist statement and a picture of your artwork together when you have finished.
You might be asking yourself, “Why do I have to write an artist statement? It's stupid. If I wanted to write to express myself I would have been a writer. The whole idea of my art is to say things visually. Why can't people just look at my art and take away whatever experiences they will?”
However, Artist statements are not stupid; they are essential. And you don't have to be a writer to write one. And people already look at your art and take away whatever experiences they will. Your artist statement is about facts, a basic introduction to your art; it should not be instructions for the viewer on what to experience, what to think or how to feel. If it is, your better off rewriting it.

People communicate through language, and your artist statement introduces and communicates the language component of your art. People who come into contact with your art might have questions about it. When you're there, they ask you and you answer. When you're not there, your artist statement answers for you. Or when you're there, but you don't like to answer questions, or you're too busy to answer questions, or someone's too embarrassed to ask you questions, then your artist statement, does the job.

How to Get Started Writing Your Artist Statement:

*Start off with thinking of words that YOU would use to describe your artwork. Start forming sentences with those words that you thought of.

*Keep it simple and to the point.

*Write in the “First Person” (Example: My work..., I made...)

*Provide basic information like WHY YOU MAKE YOUR ART, HOW YOU MAKE IT, WHAT IT'S MADE OUT OF, and perhaps briefly, WHAT YOUR ART MEANS TO YOU.