Writing The Artist Statement

Peter Schrager · Sep 4, 2016

How many here have ever struggled writing the artist statement? ?...I found a great book by Ariane Goodwin about this critical issue
A wonderful eye opener for anyone wanting to clarify their vision ..it certainly has worked for me with great exercises and letting g go of the art critic mentality. It's about what YOU as the artist bring/represent not the work
Infinity Publishing
Isbn 0-7414-0843-0
Info@buybooksontheweb.com
877 buy book
It would be great to hear some discussion on this...
Best peter

benjiboy · Sep 4, 2016

No , I'm not an artist I'm only a photographer, I don't need to do any naval gazing or trying to clap one hand.

JPJackson · Sep 4, 2016

Writing an artist statement is difficult for a lot of folks. If your showing your work in a gallery you will probably be asked for one.
Thanks for the recomended reference i will check it out.

Best,
J

MattKing · Sep 4, 2016

Some people may not be aware that an "Artist Statement" isn't usually about the Artist, but rather it is about a set of photographs - frequently in the context of something like a Gallery show. I like to think of them as being similar to notes in a program.
A good Artist Statement will complement the photographs - enhance the experience of viewing them. Sometimes the Statement accomplishes that by providing additional context, whereas in other cases the Statement includes questions that the photographs seek to address and which viewers of those photographs may not have considered.
IMHO, an Artist Statement is best if it addresses the photographs as a collection intended to work together. Individual photographs should rarely be referenced.
A Good Artist Statement should stand on its own. One should be able to include it in the promotional material for the show, and after reading that material, a prospective attendee should be at least intrigued.
Thanks for the link. I'll see if I can find some useful additional resources.

cliveh · Sep 4, 2016

Artist statements are usually completely pretentious and full of bullshit. One of my students asked me what she should say if the university she was applying to asked her what was her favourite movement in photography. I suggested she should reply pressing the shutter.

MattKing · Sep 4, 2016

cliveh said:
Artist statements are usually completely pretentious and full of bullshit.

They certainly can be that way (and seem more likely to be that way if there is an academic component to the photography), but I would suggest that if they are like that, they just aren't very good.

StephenT · Sep 4, 2016

Check Amazon for customer reviews and for prices on used copies. Most reviews were favorable, a few were not.

Myself, I ordered a copy for $3.99 plus shipping. For $8, I think I will learn something worth at least that - hopefully.

cliveh · Sep 4, 2016

MattKing said:
They certainly can be that way (and seem more likely to be that way if there is an academic component to the photography), but I would suggest that if they are like that, they just aren't very good.

Why would an academic component elicit more bullshit? Can you give me a good example of an artist statement that has practical validity?

Andrew O'Neill · Sep 4, 2016

I've always loathed them. The first one I wrote was back in '89 for an exhibition of my artwork (before I got into photography). Luckily I had a newspaper lady help me get it down on paper. I'm not good at writing, especially about my work. I had a show shortly after that and my artist statement was simply, "it's on the wall".
I'll check out the book anyway. Thanks, Peter.

MattKing · Sep 4, 2016

cliveh said:
Why would an academic component elicit more bullshit? Can you give me a good example of an artist statement that has practical validity?

That which us non-academic types see as bullshit may actually be seen as "private language" to those who haunt the halls of academia.

And as for practical validity, I'll be so vain as to include a copy of the Artist Statement I wrote for my five photographs in the Group Show I participated in earlier this year:

Chrismat · Sep 4, 2016

cliveh said:
Artist statements are usually completely pretentious and full of bullshit. One of my students asked me what she should say if the university she was applying to asked her what was her favourite movement in photography. I suggested she should reply pressing the shutter.

+1.

Peter Schrager · Sep 4, 2016

This is where people are so caught up by mistake construed notation about the artist statement....since I'm not from the academic field I have no fear of what the potential holds for me. ..it's way more about MY INTENTION as an artist than my photographs. ..it's only a lead in for people to understand me and where I'm coming from....I see the academics here amongst you are the most acerbic on the topic
If the book costs $5 then it's the same as a roll of film...follow through; try the exercises and Set yourself free from fear of writing the artist statement. ..by the way it's also NOT fixed in stone and can certainly change as you grow
Matt yourS was spoken from the heart
Best peter

Moopheus · Sep 4, 2016

I am the artist! You are the audience. I outrank you!

winger · Sep 4, 2016

I'm with Peter and Matt. I've been in a couple of shows where you had to give them an artist statement along with any accepted works. And thank you for the timely post, Peter - I need to write one for the works I have at a local creative market. The person running it said it's optional but that the majority of people shopping want to see something to help them connect with the artist as a person, not just seeing the works on the wall. I'm sure many of those reading that will either roll their eyes or disagree vehemently, but she's been doing this for long enough I'm not going to argue. And, no, it doesn't need to be hoity-toity, pretentious, or full of "art-speak." It needs to show people why you are showing them those works and why you made them to begin with. It speaks for you when you aren't there to present your works to them.

AgX · Sep 4, 2016

winger said:
I need to write one for the works I have at a local creative market. The person running it said it's optional but that the majority of people shopping want to see something to help them connect with the artist as a person, not just seeing the works on the wall.

A creative market is just the place to be to get into contact with the artist. The least place to need such statement.

Andrew O'Neill · Sep 4, 2016

Matt, your statement is perfect and to the point. No BS there. Hey, I'll see you at the Symposium in a couple weeks!

chriscrawfordphoto · Sep 4, 2016

cliveh said:
Artist statements are usually completely pretentious and full of bullshit. One of my students asked me what she should say if the university she was applying to asked her what was her favourite movement in photography. I suggested she should reply pressing the shutter.

You have no business being a teacher if you gave such idiotic advice to a student who needed to answer that question to get into a university. If she followed it, she would almost certainly be rejected. When I was a high school literature teacher, I had a moral and legal obligation to help those of my students who wanted to go on to college. What you did was unethical and a dishonor to our profession.

winger · Sep 4, 2016

AgX said:
A creative market is just the place to be to get into contact with the artist. The least place to need such statement.

I'm not physically there - my photos are on the walls.

MattKing · Sep 4, 2016

Andrew O'Neill said:
Matt, your statement is perfect and to the point. No BS there. Hey, I'll see you at the Symposium in a couple weeks!

Thanks Andrew - looking forward to it.

On that subject, if anyone feels like being inspired by a whole bunch of really talented and creative photographers, most of whom work in alternative and traditional photographic media, the 2016 Northwest Symposium for Alternative Process Photography is happening in the Vancouver, BC Canada area less than two weeks from now.

I guarantee that there will be lots of people there who have lots of experience with Artist Statements - and lots more!

Here is a link: Dead Link Removed

The 2014 (Astoria Oregon) and 2012 (Bellevue Washington) versions of the Symposium were great.

Peter Schrager · Sep 5, 2016

Ms WInger...please just write what your heart speaks. .. your art is from your heart and that's where you need to write from...not about what's on the wall. .I'll guarantee if you do that people will buy your work. ..
Hugs
Peter

Old-N-Feeble · Sep 5, 2016

When one door closes, another window opens.

When opportunity knocks, answer the phone.

When you fall off the horse, just keep swimming swimming swimming.

removed account4 · Sep 5, 2016

it is hard, really hard to put into words what you might be thinking or doing.
and doing it without sounding like a dope. ...
i can see why people don't like artist statements

while i don't like making artist statements i also realize sometimes it is necessaryu !
thanks for this thread,

pdeeh · Sep 5, 2016

cliveh said:
pressing the shutter.

yeah, the problem is you can easily bugger up the curtain doing that.
I prefer to press the button.

Vaughn · Sep 5, 2016

Artist statements are an artistic and intilectual exercise that can clarify one's work. But some folks do not like exercise, or see little point in it...and that's cool. To each their own.

A friend and I had a show together, titled after a photo he had taken (an image of some graffitti of the words, "Area of Temporary Refuge"). I wrote the following 'statement' that I combined in a frame with the image shown below (carbon print -- two ajoining frames from a Diana camera).

Area of Temporary Refuge

A place to return and a place to set forth
A place to renew and to gather strength
A place to center

It is this place that allows me to measure the extremes

From this ground I look up and know the heights.
From this place of simplicity I come to grips with the complexities.
From this center I explore the world

Photography is but a refuge from which to embark on a simple quest
A quest to understand the qualities of light and the forms it takes
A journey to explore the limits of my understanding and my ability to see

*** Thankfully I make no claim to be a writer or poet, but it was fun and challenging to write the above. If it helped or hindered the viewers I do not know...no one commented about it to me. But I am glad I made the effort.

Andrew O'Neill · Sep 5, 2016

That's very nice, Vaughn.

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