Writing The Artist Statement

[silveror0]

Again, off topic posts are preventing those who want to have a productive discussion from having one. If you want to start a new thread about how you don't care for artist statements, please go ahead, and those who want to have the conversation about writing an artist statement can have it.

Right on, David! IF I were a newb, encountering this thread, I'd say to myself "This is no different than most other forums I've looked at, with all the same old pontificating sh*t like:

1. Pissing contests (who can go the highest and farthest?).
2. I'm holier than thou.
3. I'm more intelligent than thou.
4. I'm more experienced than thou.
5. I'm the anointed one, so get over it.
6. Take my word for it, I know whereof I speak.

I may as well just leave; I'm not learning anything here."

 

[LAG]

Right on, David! IF I were a newb, encountering this thread, I'd say to myself "This is no different than most other forums I've looked at ...

Excuse me silveror0

Well, I am new here, but precisely it is this message what scares me, not the discussion itself! Any debate will always be better and healthy that take advantage of someone's misfortune post. At the same time I would like to acknowledge the timely speech of one moderator, Thank you.

Back to the OP, one of the best things that one Artist Statement provides us (if not the only one) far away from thinking in others, it is the opportunity for a self-reflexion exercice.

 

[moose10101]

I just finished the Artist's Statement for my first solo show, with help from the examples and comments on this thread (minus the c***-swinging).

Thanks for an interesting and helpful discussion.

 

[Bob Carnie]

I too just finished a proposal for Cultural Days Project 2017 that indeed ask for an Artist Statement, which was weighted towards
why my proposal would be viable for sponsorship.

 

[Peter Schrager]

I'll sponsor you Bob!!...
Just write from the heart..the rest will follow
Best peter

 

[Bob Carnie]

Here is my statement about my work these days.


Tribute to Sabattier



I love the print. It’s simple for me: without the print there is no photography.

The small space of my darkroom is where I make statements, tell stories, inspire

and create cherished objects that can be collected, viewed and passed down to

future generations.

Personally I work in film, which includes historically significant printing processes such as silver and platinum palladium. For colour work I use tri-colour pigments over palladium.

These processes create beautiful and permanent art objects that I adore.


The Sabatier effect is created by flashing with light film or paper during

development.

It is one of the earliest phenomena in photography. The image tones all move to

middle grey and on the edges of objects a black or white line becomes evident.

Influences in this area include the artist Man Ray who perfected the technique

with Lee Miller, and Steichen as he made colour prints over palladium by

applying coloured pigment.

I control solarization in the darkroom. A black line around the subject denotes a

flash of controlled light during the film’s development; a white line, a controlled

flash of light during the print’s development.

I use chemical toning techniques to separate the highlights, midtones and

shadows from each other as well create multiple layers of complementary tones.


This is an ongoing obsession for me as I continuously look close to home or work

for objects of interest. Once I have secured these objects I photograph them with

simple studio lighting, process the negatives and start manipulating the film in the

darkroom.

My aim is to create a larger body of work that memorializes ordinary consumer

products that are recycled, put away, or typically given to us by others.

The prints are available in editions of seven in either Silver Gelatin or Platinum

Palladium with applied colour.

These images constitute my modest documentation of our society’s consumer

processes.