Artist Statements
What is an artist’s statement?
An artist’s statement is a brief statement which tells us about your art. It clarifies and adds to what the viewer can already see (or hear or feel, depending on the type of work you are making).
An artist’s statement:
- Is about your art, not so much about you. (For example, if your work is informed by the rhythmic forces of ocean currents, and you grew up in a coastal location, then it would be relevant to mention this biographical detail. However, make sure the artist’s statement is primarily about the artwork, and less so about your life.)
- Explains your process, materials and concepts and how these inform each other to create meaning in your work
- Is primarily about the work you are presenting now, or the current direction of your work, not a detailed history of how you got to this point
- Should be approx. 100-150 words
- Should use simple, jargon-free language. (Do not feel as though you need to reference any French philosophers unless your work is genuinely engaged with that material!)
Writing an artist’s statement
Writing an artist’s statement means understanding your own practice well. You need to know what informs your work and its position within the broader context of art. The following questions may help with this.
- What materials did you use to make this artwork? Why?
- What processes and techniques did you use? Why?
- Did you undertake any special research to produce this work? What was that?
- What subjects/themes do you generally explore in your work? Why?
- Who or what inspires you?
- What kinds of art do you look at most?
- Why do you make art?
- What are the questions you are trying to ask or answer in your work?
Example artist statement written by Alison McDonald
This dual landscape represents the intersections of my enduring passions: a fascination with seaweed and the technique of chasing and repoussé. Whilst giving momentum to an ancient technique, these diverge from traditional perfection, embracing the irregularities that arise during the making. Creation is slow and contrasting to the relentless pace of our contemporary world. Every mark a quiet celebration, with momentum driving the rhythmic tapping of the hammer against copper. This meditative act is gradual, each stroke building upon the last, transforming the material into something new. Connecting to Annie Slade’s 1884 collection (the British Marine Algae Collection at JCU Special Collections), sparked a creative dialogue leading to the development of these bowls. Studying her pressed seaweed specimens deepened my understanding of both her pioneering work and the enormous variety of marine algae. These bowls reference the undervalued global significance of seaweed as a cultural, ecological and food resource.
Below is the same artist statement with some notes about how the artist, Alison McDonald, has written a successful statement.
This dual landscape represents the intersections of my enduring passions: a fascination with seaweed and the technique of chasing and repoussé. (Alison’s first sentence is direct. It gets straight to the point and effectively explains her interests as they relate to her art. She could add the words “ancient metalworking techniques” to the sentence to briefly explain what chasing and repoussé are, for readers that may not understand these terms.) Whilst giving momentum to an ancient technique, these diverge from traditional perfection, embracing the irregularities that arise during the making. (Alison connects her technique to how the artwork looks, i.e. how her process creates meaning in the work.) Creation is slow and contrasting to the relentless pace of our contemporary world. Every mark a quiet celebration, with momentum driving the rhythmic tapping of the hammer against copper. This meditative act is gradual, each stroke building upon the last, transforming the material into something new. (In this section, Alison highlights the importance of her process and how she works, i.e. embracing irregularities, working slowly.) Connecting to Annie Slade’s 1884 collection (the British Marine Algae Collection at JCU Special Collections), sparked a creative dialogue leading to the development of these bowls. Studying her pressed seaweed specimens deepened my understanding of both her pioneering work and the enormous variety of marine algae. (Alison mentions important reference material/research for this work.) These bowls reference the undervalued global significance of seaweed as a cultural, ecological and food resource. (This sentence summarizes the work’s key themes and conceptual driving force.)
Additionally:
- At 149 words, the artist’s statement is neither too long, nor too short. More importantly, the artist has not tried to cover too much or too little ground.
- The statement gives readers an insight into Alison McDonald’s technique, materials, process, interests, research methods/source material and what the work is trying to achieve.
- Alison has included very little material about herself and only material which is relevant to her artwork.