Share your "Artist Statement"

[lee]

I have had my statement copied by the reviewer for the local newspaper. I was not sure if I was proud or ripped off.

lee\c

 

[David H. Bebbington]

An artist statement is not PR or advertisment. ...we think an artitst statement is a necessary evil if you want to play the art game, bit it certainly should not be what defines your photographic work.

Bottom line, if your photography sucks, no amount of flowery words will make it good....OTOH if your photgraphy is mediocre, but you have gift for art speak and promotion, you might be the next best thing in photography....

Nobody here denies the power of self promotion, but do not equate self promotion with an artist statement, it is not the same thing.

I think we're going round in circles again! What I am saying is this (applies to me, may apply to others):
I photograph in order to communicate my feelings to others (I don't need to make any concrete objects to know myself what I am feeling). To me, marketing, in the sense of achieving acceptance of my work in a forum in which it will be seen by the most people possible, is a part of the communication process which is just as important as making the work itself. The artist's statement is part of this process. You may not think so, I do. In no way do I regard promotional work (including writing a statement) as an evil, necessary or otherwise. You accept the need for promotional work but do so grudgingly, implying that most people who do this are compensating for inferior work.The reverse is true - even if your work is the greatest in the world, the chances are you will get nowhere with it if you are hostile to the idea of communicating your work to the world at large AFTER making it.

 

[Ed Sukach]

...The reverse is true - even if your work is the greatest in the world, the chances are you will get nowhere with it if you are hostile to the idea of communicating your work to the world at large AFTER making it.

I have *NO* problem with someone - anyone working the way they do. If they feel it important to follow the Zone System, or not; If they wish to photograph first and ask questions later ... or use Perutz film developed in sea brine... whatever - I would encourage them to do so. The only thing that I will NOT do is try to impose MY will on another. I think this hurts both of us. Speak with YOUR voice -- that will produce your best work.

"You will get nowhere...". There is the crux of the matter: All of us do not want to get to the same place!!

I think that the search for another human being who shares one's vision, one's way of seeing - is an important one. If I can accomplish this without artificial leading to arrive at an unbiased result .. why not?

I may "see" something in this world of incredible beauty (to me at least) and I'll offer it for someone else to enjoy...

There are many other reasons for doing what I do... certainly some of it is so mysterious (there!! - I've said it!!) that I do not consciously understand it. Possibly, the mere fact that it IS a mystery is what makes it of value... would there be any real value to understanding WHY the Mona Lisa was smiling?

There are those who are compelled to take the "scientific" approach - "NOTHING exists until/ unless it can be proven"; and there are those who take the "mystical" approach ... "Many things can and do exist, even though we cannot prove them". I will admit to being one of the latter - in Art, anyway.

This raises a good question: "What does getting somewhere mean to each of us?" - Producing "fine work"? Communicating with others? Delivering a message? Creating a "mood" in someone else? Admiration/ acceptance in the eyes of the beholder?... Status in the pecking order?

I "Get somewhere" when I produce work that satisfies ME. That isn't easy - I am a stern taskmaster to myself.

 

[Jorge]

I You accept the need for promotional work but do so grudgingly, implying that most people who do this are compensating for inferior work.The reverse is true - even if your work is the greatest in the world, the chances are you will get nowhere with it if you are hostile to the idea of communicating your work to the world at large AFTER making it.

Not going in circles, we just disagree in the role of the artist statement, which IMO it is not the same as promotional work.

implying that most people who do this are compensating for inferior work.

I would appreciate it if you stop putting words in my mouth or making assumptions which are not implied. What I said was that if your work is crap, it wont get any where even if you have the best artist statement.

OTOH you clearly state that no matter how good the work is, you wont get anywhere without an artist statement....and you actually state this as a mattter of truth, I find this hilarious.....and it is clear you have not submitted your work to any publications or galleries. While they do ask for an artist statement, the acceptance or rejection of the work is based on the prints and their content, the way they are presented and how professional they look. Not one person either gallery owner or publication has asked to see my artist statement first before they see the work. So your statement that "the opposite is true" is clearly not so, at least in my experience, and I might add the experience of many photographers I know, some of them very well known.

 

[Annie]

Hey Murray... perhaps you could submit your artist statement (6 copies) along with a proposal for furthering your artistic development to VADA. The fact that you are an ‘artistically isolated’ BC photographer and have a few solo exhibitions on your CV should work in your favor....$5000 can certainly come in handy when you are expanding your technical horizons.....

.... Just don’t apply to ‘research alternative photographic processes incorporating elementals of the landscape’ ............that idea is taken ; ) Cheers Annie.

 

[David H. Bebbington]

it is clear you have not submitted your work to any publications or galleries.

You know nothing about this! Try a Google search for David Bebbington, photographer if you've got nothing better to do.

While they do ask for an artist statement, the acceptance or rejection of the work is based on the prints and their content, the way they are presented and how professional they look.

This is absolutely true. However, if AFTER a publication or gallery has expressed an interest in your work, you then take the attitude that your work should speak for itself and that you totally refuse to supply any background material (of which an artist's statement and CV form a small but important part) or play any part in promoting your work, the publication or gallery concerned may decide that you are just too much trouble!

Jorge, if you want to devote so much energy to proving I am a moron and that you know everything better, go right ahead. The reason for my standpoint is this: In a very long association with artists over many years, I have known SO MANY people who are concerned ONLY with producing work and then cease their efforts the moment it is finished. They seem to think it will mysteriously find some outlet on its own, and when it doesn't they do nothing about it. I know from my daily work and experience that marketing and promotion are equally as important as making work (or manufacturing products). The writing of an artist's statement is a small part of the process of marketing and promotion - the main significance of it, however, is as an indicator - if some one has a negative attitude to this, they will probably be less than enthusiastic about all the other things they need to do to promote themselves.

If you have found another way of doing things, I'm really happy for you! On the other hand, postings on this and other threads of this forum have revealed contributors with little or no appreciation of business reality, and I'm trying to supply some for the purposes of debate, drawing on 40 years' experience as a professional writer and photographer. If you do reply, please try to focus on giving advice which readers less experienced than you may be able to use. You are obviously going to continue doing things your way (I wouldn't dream of objecting to this) and you are apparently going to take any expression of a diverging opinion as a personal insult. I really can't do anything about this!

 

[Ed Sukach]

On the other hand, postings on this and other threads of this forum have revealed contributors with little or no appreciation of business reality,..

... Or is it that some of us "ignorant" contributors are simply not driven by the business aspect?

... and I'm trying to supply some for the purposes of debate, drawing on 40 years' experience as a professional writer and photographer.

N.B. "Debate". I thought that is what we are doing; presenting different points of view, and trying to support them with our reasoning. That IS a debate, isn't it?

If you do reply, please try to focus on giving advice which readers less experienced than you may be able to use.

Ooops!! Just shifted from a "debate" to something like, "Only those who will agree with me and MY advice/ arguments are eligble to reply". That is definitely NOT a debate. It is "giving advice".

...You are obviously going to continue doing things your way (I wouldn't dream of objecting to this) and you are apparently going to take any expression of a diverging opinion as a personal insult. I really can't do anything about this!

You are right. You can't. I'll include myself with Jorge here.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Hey Murray... perhaps you could submit your artist statement (6 copies) along with a proposal for furthering your artistic development to VADA.

So who's VADA anyway Annie? Will they, like, drop $5000 into my sweating palms and leave me alone to do with it what I will...or does it come with strings attatched? (Received a grant once...didn't like the experience much).

I'm pretty new to this whole computer / forum thing. When I said I was curious to see if any debates were spawned, I actually thought the *content* of the statements would be discussed! How nieve was that!! Shouldn't we, as impassioned photographers who now have a "forum" where we can meet others as passionate as ourselves, be able to carry on a discussion without making personal attacks, or taking heated debate personally...or am I again being nieve?

Murray

 

[Jorge]

Well, you know, at the risk of sounding crass, I have never heard of you. So perhaps your promoting and artist statement are not working as you think.

Now, it seems to me you are the one upset about people not agreeing with you. I have no idea what type of galleries you cater, but the ones I send my work to are expected to provide promotional work, it is the reason they are getting 50% of the sales. I do provide them with an artist statement, but as I said, it is a simple blurb with no hype.

Judging by the amount of posts you have made on this thread it looks like it is you who wants to prove that he is right and cannot brook any opinions otherwise. Frankly, I doubt your "bussiness" acumen is all that greater than ours, and I am sure your bussiness "reality" is badly skewed in favor of writing blurbs instead of doing good photography, at least it seems that way.

The funny thing is that it is you who have gotten on this rut about us being "anti comercialism" or "purist" and that we dont want nor desire to promote our work. Nobody has said that here, all we have said, and I repeat for the third time is that an artist stament is not all that important in relation to the other things necessary to promote your work. OTOH I think your attitude is a simptom of what is wrong in many things now a days. This notion that you can "spin" your way clear to make up for lack of quality and hard work.

Bottom line for me, I dont know any ad execs who are famous, but I do know some photographers who are, and it was not by writing cute artist statements. It was done by working very hard both at their photography and the promotion of their work that had nothing to do with an artist statement.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

I'm pretty new to this whole computer / forum thing. When I said I was curious to see if any debates were spawned, I actually thought the *content* of the statements would be discussed! How nieve was that!! Shouldn't we, as impassioned photographers who now have a "forum" where we can meet others as passionate as ourselves, be able to carry on a discussion without making personal attacks, or taking heated debate personally...or am I again being nieve?

Just in case it got missed,

Murray

 

[David H. Bebbington]

Jorge and others, have a nice life! I'm out of here!

 

[rogueish]

This thread from the not too distant past.
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[modafoto]

Jorge and others, have a nice life! I'm out of here!

hmmm....bye bye then....

But why not stay around a little before deciding on slamming the door?

 

[David H. Bebbington]

hmmm....bye bye then....

But why not stay around a little before deciding on slamming the door?

What's the point of a "dialog of the deaf"?

 

[Andy K]

People who disagree with you are not deaf David. They just disagree. Accept that not everyone holds the same opinion as you and move on. But please don't sulk because of it.

 

[David H. Bebbington]

Andy, I'm not sulking - as I have emphasised again and again in postings, I totally respect other's viewpoints, so long as they respect mine. But when another contributor effectively accuses me of lying about having work in galleries, is provided with a suggested means of viewing evidence which will confirm this, ignores this and carries on regardless making puerile and derogatory remarks about my professional activities, I think it's time to move on. I'm not upset by this behavior, just bored out of my mind!

 

[Andy K]

What's the point of a "dialog of the deaf"?

I understand that, but it does seem you are having difficulty accepting opposing viewpoints too. I also found the above comment rather petulant.

 

[David H. Bebbington]

Andy, I really don't, I just feel I have said all I have to say. If anyone wants me to contribute more (I can't think why), I would be happy to respond to a direct question.

 

[rogueish]

If anyone wants me to contribute more (I can't think why), I would be happy to respond to a direct question.

Do you feel an Artist's Statement is of the absolute importance when trying to show/sell one's work (in a gallery or not) or could one actually do with out one if so choosen?
I personally don't have one, never really considered one. In the future (couple years at least) I may consider showing some of my work- once I learn to tone of course. Will I need one? Or will an Artist's Bio suffice? Are they really that different?

 

[Gustavo_Castilla]

My personal statemment

Personal statement :
I see photography as an open ended world where styles and conventions can be explore hence I don’t see my self as a portrait or land escape photographer but rather a photographer that explores his medium and tries to express trough it

 

[freespiritedone]

And the "artists" statement goes too! (that's hollywood talk)

glad you guys started this thread...

Re: making an Artists statement:

I take a linguists perspective. I have deemed it "LITVIS" ... which is shorthand for literary and visual... elements,
because I combine the art of the written word juxtaposed with the photograph -- beyond a caption beneath the photograph. This makes me an artist. not because I have made a statement, rather, becuase I have "looked within"

Quote: What is a photograph without thought?
-- freespiritedone

 

[Jorge]

Andy, I'm not sulking - as I have emphasised again and again in postings, I totally respect other's viewpoints, so long as they respect mine. But when another contributor effectively accuses me of lying about having work in galleries, is provided with a suggested means of viewing evidence which will confirm this, ignores this and carries on regardless making puerile and derogatory remarks about my professional activities, I think it's time to move on. I'm not upset by this behavior, just bored out of my mind!

I am sorry, but for a writer you pay little atention to details and make up stuff that was never written. Please show me where I wrote you were lying, as I suppose you are refferring to me. WHat I said was that it appeared you have little experience in the process of showing your work.
But hey, you want to throw a temper tantrum...by all means do so.

Murray, as you might have noticed by now I dont give the artist statement much importance, but since you wanted to discuss the content of them I will say that they are not hard to do, simply write why you enjoy photographing what you photograph, if you use a classic method like pt/pd or carbon, etc..why you chose to express your work in this manner, and if you use an unsual camera say so. Here is a good example of an artist statement given by a gallery owner whose opinion, at least in this context is more important than anything I or other self professed experts can say.

http://www.afterimagegallery.com/shore.htm

 

[David H. Bebbington]

Do you feel an Artist's Statement is of the absolute importance when trying to show/sell one's work (in a gallery or not) or could one actually do with out one if so choosen?
I personally don't have one, never really considered one. In the future (couple years at least) I may consider showing some of my work- once I learn to tone of course. Will I need one? Or will an Artist's Bio suffice? Are they really that different?

Since you ask .............. !
I agree with others that the most important factor is an artist's WORK. Some others on this thread have stated that they prefer to present ONLY their work, I personally feel that if viewers in a gallery can glimpse the author behind the work this helps put them into a receptive frame of mind and perhaps encourages them to buy. An artist's bio can be part of this process, so can an artist's statement. I suggested in a previous post a template which could (but of course need not) be used to produce an artist's statement, which of course describes an artist's intentions and aspirations and is thus very different from the chronology of a bio. Background material of this kind (bio and statement) is also valuable to the gallery in the preparation of press releases, etc.

Regards,

David

 

[rogueish]

Thanks David
I skipped over most of this posts as I could see there was a lot of... disagreement. Most of the time I pass over or completely ignore when threads get this way. (rare here, but happens occasionally, that's life on the web).
I guess if I'm ever to do a showing and the gallery asks for one, I'll ask them what they want in it and if they have time/could help. I've thought about an Artist Bio, but not a Statement.
Something for future consideration.

 

[modafoto]

My second statement:

"Morten is a photographer...he likes to press shutters...sometimes he even puts film in his camera...sometimes he develops the film...sometimes the negs are printable....sometimes he print one of them...sometimes he shows it to you...like it or not..."

Morten