Creating an Artists Statement

I Am An Artist

Types of Artists Statements

Exhibitions
Public Art Commissions
Applications for Graduate School
Projects, Series, Periods of Time
Grant Applications
Self-initiated Opportunities (public space or
formal space)
Catalogue
Masters Thesis

Why Write an Artists Statement?

required
for you
your reader / audience / viewer

My artwork speaks for itself.

i before e, except after c, or in

words like neighbor and
weigh

Content
of Artists Statement (Dos!)
general introduction

what drove you to create the work

overall themes
how work fits into an art historical/contemporary context
sources of inspiration
how it relates to other bodies of work
how your process is relevant to the content/meaning of
your work
media
theoretical background

Content of Artists Statement (Donts!)

discuss your childhood

write a great statement that is unrelated to your work
simply describe whats already there
describe process
clichs
big claims

Format of Artists Statement (Dos!)

1 paragraph 1 page
simple
clear
concise
first person (I, not the artist)
professional-looking

Possible outline:
1. Begin with a hook
2. Basic overview of your work
2. Specific examples of how your work relates to overview
3. Short summary of ideas

Format of Artists Statement (Donts!)

use language that is:

poetic
technical
highfalutin
arty
overly academic
fancy formatting, font, or images

Clichs to Avoid

juxtapose
passion
edgy
transformative
intuitive
personal journey
my art is about my experiences

Whats wrong with this picture?

When I played my first note on a trumpet at age 3 (yes, 3!)
I was hooked for life.
For me, painting is soul therapy.
After 23 years as a high-level executive in the corporate
world, I decided to quit my job and devote my life to
dance.
the two energies vibrate at different frequencies one in
which the art vibrates to stimulate the viewer to action.
Either way it's a win/win for the viewer... the art lives for
them.

My work elucidates the patriarchal configuration of the

social arrangement
Or
My work is about male-dominated societies

The paintings are richly textured, created with

layers of color which are often scraped to reveal
the color or layers beneath. Or the paint may be
applied thinly to allow the viewer to see what
came before. The paintings are flat, often
patterned and linear, they are created with a
vertical orientation to eliminate any reference to
landscape. I use the sensual and often subtle
properties of color, juxtaposing them along with
texture to denote the passage of time.

Sample Statements

Bill Finger, Observation Room

2009
Digital C-Print
30x24
www.billfinger.net

Now, check out page 19

Where to Start
Talking
Read lots of statements
Galleries, museums
Art:21 (PBS)
Artists websites

Where to End
Editing
Several working versions
Ever-evolving
Save your statement in the same folder as your images
Save as date(year-mo)_series-title.file-type

Resources
artisttrust.org/index.php/for-artists/resource/artist_statement_essentials
www.gyst-ink.com/services/statements.php
www.pbs.org/art21
www.nyfa.org/archive_detail_q.asp?type=6&qid=88&fid=6&year=1999&s=Summer