EX69 Artists Statment

weekly exercises

30 May

Defining what we are purpose is a worthwhile exercise. Clarity adds purpose and direction to our work. Putting reasons behind our work helps us understand our work better and ourselves. I found the process of figuring out what my work means to me and writing it down helped me create better work because I had more clarity.

I have asked many students in my Master Class over the years to write an artists statement. Their response has always been similar to my personal one. It helped to stop and really think about why we are doing our art. Writing it down was such an important part of that process. As with all things, it is a process, and like life it isn’t ever finished or complete. As we journey on so does our work and where we focus. We will change, and what we write today is just a snapshot of today. It isn’t set in stone for the future. But it will help you figure out where to go next.

The first step of writing an artists statement is to figure out what gets you excited. To identify what what you love and what you like to work on. To find some great descriptors that you can use. I personally love to use a recipe for the first time I do something. Following someone else’s directions in steps makes the process simpler. Latter, after you have written your first ‘Artists Statement’ you can work on other ways of writing them and just write them to how every you wish.

There really are no rules for artists statements despite many telling you there are.

I will include my favorite recipe below.

Take some time and work your way through this process of writing your own artists statement. If you are willing, post it in the forum and include three photographs from your collection that illustrates some of the ideas you talk about in your artists statement. Others may also see something in your work and may offer suggestions about ideas that come to their mind.

This is a deeply personal exercise. Yet, posting our photographs and sharing our thoughts is also. It isn’t much different, it is just a different medium. Words instead of pictures. Words about your pictures.

Please enjoy stopping and thinking about your work. This is such a valuable exercise. It is worth watching the presentation on voice as well, which I will include here too.

Post your Artist Statement https://lensclub.discussion.community/post/ex69-artist-statment-10542589?pid=1311680579#post1311680579

Join us for our zoom meeting next Friday to discuss the exercise and the photographs posted.

“How To Write An Artist Statement

Your artist’s statement can be a moving testament to your creativity and integrity. The expression of this commitment will vary, but the effectiveness of your artist’s statement stems from the authority with which you write it.

Think of your artist’s statement as a nourishing stew. The rich flavors and inviting aroma will feed your spirit and summon wonderful people to your table. You’ll want to make sure your stew is made from the freshest, finest ingredients and that it has been simmered and seasoned with care. Do this, and you will be proud to share your creative vision — your authority — with others.

WRITING YOUR ARTIST’S STATEMENT

STEP ONE: Assemble the Ingredients.

1. Take five minutes and think about why you do what you do. How did you get into this work? How do you feel when work is going well? What are your favorite things about your work? Jot down short phrases that capture your thoughts. Don’t worry about making sense or connections. The more you stir up at this point, the richer the stew.

2. Make a list of words and phrases that communicate your feelings about your work and your values. Include words you like, words that make you feel good, words that communicate your values or fascinations. Be loose. Be happy. Be real. Think of these as potential seasonings for your stew. You don’t have to choose which ones to use just yet, so get them all out of the cupboard.

3. Answer these questions as simply as you can. Your answers are the meat and potatoes of your stew. Let them be raw and uncut for now.

What is your favorite tool? Why?

What is your favorite material? Why?

What do you like best about what you do?

What do you mean when you say that a piece has turned out really well?

What patterns emerge in your work? Is there a pattern in the way you select materials? In the way you use color, texture or light?

What do you do differently from the way you were taught? Why?

What is your favorite color? List three qualities of the color. Consider that these qualities apply to your work.

4. Look at your word list. Add new words suggested by your answers to the questions above.

5. Choose two key words from your word list. They can be related or entirely different. Look them up in a dictionary. Read all the definitions listed for your words. Copy the definitions, thinking about what notions they have in common. Look your words up in a Thesaurus. Read the entries related to your words. Are there any new words that should be added to your word list?

6. Write five sentences that tell the truth about your connection to your work. If you are stuck, start by filling in the blanks below.

When I work with__________ I am reminded that___________.

I begin a piece by______________.

I know a piece is done when__________________.

When my work is going well, I am filled with a sense of _____________.

When people see my work, I’d like them to ________________.

STEP TWO: Filling the Pot.

Write a three paragraph artist’s statement. Keep your sentences authentic and direct. Use the present tense (“I am,” not “I was,” “I do,” not “I did.”) Be brave: say nice things about yourself. If you find that you falter, write three paragraphs about an artist whose work you admire. Then write about yourself as though you were an admiring colleague. As a rule, your artist’s statement should be written in the first person. Refer to yourself with the pronouns “I, me, my.” If this blocks you, write in the third person, then go back and change the pronouns as needed when you get to Step Four. Use the suggestions below to structure your statement. Write three to five sentences per paragraph.

First paragraph.
Begin with a simple statement of why you do the work you do. Support that statement, telling the reader more about your goals and aspirations.

Second paragraph.
Tell the reader how you make decisions in the course of your work. How and why do you select materials, techniques, themes? Keep it simple and tell the truth.

Third paragraph.
Tell the reader a little more about your current work. How it is grew out of prior work or life experiences. What are you exploring, attempting, challenging by doing this work.

STEP THREE: Simmering the Stew.

Your artist’s statement is a piece of very personal writing. Let it simmer overnight before your reread it. This incubation period will help give you the detachment necessary to polish the writing without violating your sense of integrity and safety. While your statement simmers, let your mind wander over the ingredients you assembled in Step One. Allow yourself to experience the truth of your creative experience. Marvel at the wealth of seasonings and abundance of vegetables you have at your disposal. Enjoy the realization that your work is grounded in real values and experience. If you think of things you might have left out of your statement, jot them down, but leave the statement alone.

STEP FOUR: Taste and Correct the Seasonings.

Read your statement aloud. Listen to the way the sounds and rhythms seem to invite pauses. Notice places where you’d like the sound or rhythm to be different. Experiment with sounding out the beats of words that seem to be missing until they come to mind. Do this several times until you have a sense of the musical potential of your statement. As you read your statement, some phrases will ring true and others false. Think about the ones that aren’t on the mark and find the true statement lurking behind the false one. You may find that the truth is a simpler statement than the one you made. Or your internal censors may have kept you from making a wholehearted statement of your truth lest it sound self-important. Risk puffing yourself up as long as your claims are in line with your goals and values.

By now your taste buds are saturated. You need a second opinion. Choose a trusted friend or professional to read your statement. Make it clear that you are satisfied with the ingredients on the whole, but you’d like an opinion as to seasoning. You alone are the authority for what is true about your work, but you’d like feedback on clarity, tone, and such technical matters as spelling and punctuation.

STEP FIVE: Summon the Guests.

There’s little point in concocting a fabulous stew if you don’t invite anyone to dinner. Every time you use your artist’s statement you extend your circle of influence and build new branches of the support network for making, showing and selling your work. Enclose a copy of your artist’s statement whenever you send a press release, letter of interest to a gallery or store, or contact a collector. Send it to show promoters and curators. Enclose a copy with shipments of your work so it can be displayed wherever your work is exhibited.

STEP SIX: File Your Recipe!

Save all the notes and drafts that you’ve made. You’ll want to revise and update your artist’s statement from time to time to reflect changes in your work.”

— Molly Gordon

Len’s Example

Note: this is very old, and needs revising. There is so much I will drop out and add when I do this one again. I also think it is probably a bit too long. But it is a good start. You may notice when you read it that I have grown a fair bit since I wrote it.

Artists Statement

“Creating artworks by producing unique photographs enables me to express my belief that wildness is an intimate friend. As a conservationist I believe that mother nature is the creative and controlling primary force in the universe. While creating my art in magical locations I am reminded of the interconnectedness of our world. Society is dependent on the natural environment for peace and well-being. It is my goal to communicate this belief so that we can build stronger / healthier communities with a greater understanding and sense of connection with our fragile ecosystem. Among the aspirations and motivations for my art work is a strong drive to save this beautiful planet for our children.

The word photography means ‘drawing with light’ (from the Greek), this is exactly what I strive for when attempting to achieve a unique vision in my search for significant form. My exploration of form has grown from the pallet of landscape photography, and now includes intimate landscapes, human forms and creations. My earliest artworks were drawings and paintings of natural objects and the Australian landscape. The rendering of light and form with the pencil and paintbrush have evolved to the use of lens, camera and film.

I prefer to use intuitive photographic methods over highly technical or scientific approaches. I find myself using black and white film and large format cameras to capture the natural forms as my primary subject matter. Doing so allows me to keep in touch with my feelings and my relationship with nature. I consciously choose rag paper as the medium for my prints, as a natural medium; a traditional renewable resource. I work with pigment inks on paper as I know that the artwork will remain stable to ensure its longevity. It will always be magical to touch and beautiful to behold. Paper enables me to stay in touch with drawing and printmaking skills which were the foundations of my experience in art. I believe art on paper also evokes the connection to the plant the paper originated from, and represents the interconnections within the ecosystem.

Currently the direction of my work strives to move away from the current ‘landscape photographer’ status quo, in an attempt to discover a Modern Australian Landscape Style. One where the artwork is timeless, unique and the photographs illustrate the spiritual within nature. My subject matter has expanded to include interpretations of the human figure and the viewer will begin to see the figure being included in my landscape photography as I experiment with our interrelationships with the earth.”

- Len Metcalf