Artistic Statements

[Frank F.]

Artistic Statements - we all have one of those - don't we :P

got this from today's Clothpaperscissors e-mail
Even Before Having an Art Business

What does your artist statement say about you? Oh, you don't have an artist statement? That says something right there.

Jane Dávila packs a wealth of
information into this
downloadable eBook.
A lot of artists don't think they need an artist statement unless they have an art business or plan to show their art. But an artist statement can help you focus on the art you truly want to make and what you want to get out of making it.

Once you know that, you can turn to the question of whether you want to sell art at all, sell art online, or if you think your work is more appropriately gallery art.

“Writing an artist statement is a useful exercise, whether you are writing it for a gallery or show, or just for yourself.

“Taking the time to thoroughly think through your process and why you make your art can help clarify your artistic goals and direction,” says mixed-media fiber artist, author, and teacher Jane Dávila.

Jane has been writing the “Minding Your Business” column for Quilting Arts Magazine for the past year, inspiring artists to set goals, increase sales, and approach their careers with renewed vigor. Recently, her columns were made available in one handy eBook, ready for downloading, called Art Business Strategies.

My husband is getting his portfolio together to submit to galleries, and has been working on his artist statement. Like many artists, he's not that comfortable writing about himself and his art. He's found Jane's tips on how to get started very helpful.

Your Artist Statement: How to Get Started

Write down words to describe your art. For example: colorful, powerful, joyous, morose, well-constructed, spontaneous. It is very helpful to have a thesaurus on hand when making this list.

Write down phrases to describe your processes: fabric collage, printmaking, assemblage, mixed-media art, collage, etc.

Make long lists. It's always better to have too many words or phrases than not enough. You can pare down as necessary. The more raw materials you have to pull from, the easier it will be to write your statement. Before you move on to the next step, try linking some of the words and phrases into sentences.

Answer the following questions:

1. Why do you make art?
2. How do you make your art?
3. What materials do you use?
4. What does your art mean to you?
5. Are you trying to convey any emotions?
6. What inspires you?
7. Are there major influences in your work?
8. How do your technique, style, and methods relate to your medium?

Use the answers to these questions to flesh out a typical three-paragraph statement, writes Jane. In paragraph one, talk about why you make the art that you do. What influences you and inspires you? In the second paragraph, explain a little about your processes and the materials you use.

In the final paragraph, you can address your current work or a specific piece of work, explaining in more detail how and why you made it. Leave room for the viewer to see things for themselves in your work; don't dictate what they should see or feel.

Don't know about you lot, but I just like messing about with fabric, sometimes clothing, sometimes decorative embroidery and all sorts of crafty things inbetween. if I was pushed to describe myself, I would say that I was alterations tailoress, who enjoys patchwork, quilting & embroidery on the side, but I always feel that this sort of thing is a bit 'high 'falutin and slightly pretensious'

[Lois B.]

Rosemary, I liked those questions. I thought about your statement:

"but I always feel that this sort of thing is a bit 'high 'falutin and slightly pretensious'"

Maybe, maybe not. Who said we have to make our statements public? If we spend as much time at this as many of us do, even though its fun and relaxing, I don't believe it hurts to take ourselves somewhat seriously. And besides, anybody who reads any of these threads long enough will soon figure if we were "high falutin" we probably wouldn't being hanging around here very long. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Norma H.]

Thank you, Rosemary. I copied these words into my One Note for consideration and hopefully a statement one day soon.

[wendy w.]

Nothing wrong with knowing who you are and what you are doing and why, but I have heard quite a few pretentious up themselves people the last few days talking down their noses.

So whether you have a statement or not doesn't make you an artist it's whether what you produce creates an emotion in yourself or another is what makes you an artist/creator. Well that's my pennoth worth.

Can you tell I'm driven by emotion rather than structure and planning

[wendy w.]

I provide a "Designer Statement" at the beginning of the patterns I design, but it is just specific to that particular project. I've never considered an overall artist statement, likely because I've never considered myself to be an artist. Like I heard someone else describe themselves, I'm much more of a technician than creative.

[wendy w.]

I am with you Rosemary, I do it to have fun, if someone else likes it--great; if not--so what. I do what I do for myself and I do too many different hand-crafts to be able to put one statement to all of them.

[wendy w.]

Nothing wrong with knowing who you are and what you are doing and why, but I have heard quite a few pretentious up themselves people the last few days talking down their noses.

Actually I suppose that it is not a bad thing to know who you are and what you are doing and why, but I guess it means an active level of self analysis to stop and think of the words to explain yourself - and one thing I am not into is self analysis, if I can possibly help it :wink:

I guess that since there is nothing worse than "pretentious up themselves people, talking down their noses." and I don't want to join their throng, I avoid the subject as much as possible (besides which I really CBA can't be a**ed)

[wendy w.]

Can you tell I'm driven by emotion rather than structure and planning

oops now I'm doing it :roll:

On a more serious note, if you are going to a class and you don't know the teacher then a summary (artist's statement) does help you decide if it's what you are interested in. :? For instance if it's applique then knowing the teacher is interested in how colours work together and shapes affect each other then you may choose that class rather than one where the teacher just describes the project. You then know you are going to have your grey cells rattled.

I think I've just talked myself into the merits of an artist's statement :lol:

[wendy w.]

Sounds too much like homework to me!

[Betty J.]

Well now, my problem with making such a statement is it is somewhat limiting because you might miss out on some great adventure because it might not fit into your statement. I guess I have one, sort of, on the top of my "Betty Jo's Blog" where I have "adventures in experimental fabric art". I love all kinds of fabric arts and all kinds of quilting. For my competition quilting, I have two streams of work at the moment...One is pictorial, made however it needs to be made to come out with my vision and may include some elements of traditional quilting...and the second is my latest love of what might be called "precision quilting", the one and only one of these is my "Perspective in Threads" quilt. I am thinking now of joining the two...pictorial and precision quilting. Hmmm, did I just make an artist's statement???
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[wendy w.]

yup and not in the least pretentious

[Betty J.]

yup and not in the least pretentious

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Lois B.]

Well now, my problem with making such a statement is it is somewhat limiting because you might miss out on some great adventure because it might not fit into your statement. I guess I have one, sort of, on the top of my "Betty Jo's Blog" where I have "adventures in experimental fabric art". I love all kinds of fabric arts and all kinds of quilting. For my competition quilting, I have two streams of work at the moment...One is pictorial, made however it needs to be made to come out with my vision and may include some elements of traditional quilting...and the second is my latest love of what might be called "precision quilting", the one and only one of these is my "Perspective in Threads" quilt. I am thinking now of joining the two...pictorial and precision quilting. Hmmm, did I just make an artist's statement???
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Maybe you did. But I don't believe that is limiting at all. Maybe next year this time you will need to make a new statement because you will have learned something new that will combine with what you already know and you'll need new words to define the current adventure. I am going to go sew now!

[Lois B.]

Well now, my problem with making such a statement is it is somewhat limiting because you might miss out on some great adventure because it might not fit into your statement. I guess I have one, sort of, on the top of my "Betty Jo's Blog" where I have "adventures in experimental fabric art". I love all kinds of fabric arts and all kinds of quilting. For my competition quilting, I have two streams of work at the moment...One is pictorial, made however it needs to be made to come out with my vision and may include some elements of traditional quilting...and the second is my latest love of what might be called "precision quilting", the one and only one of these is my "Perspective in Threads" quilt. I am thinking now of joining the two...pictorial and precision quilting. Hmmm, did I just make an artist's statement???
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Maybe you did. But I don't believe that is limiting at all. Maybe next year this time you will need to make a new statement because you will have learned something new that will combine with what you already know and you'll need new words to define the current adventure. I am going to go sew now!

:lol: :lol: :lol: Lois, you always have the right words and put things into perspective. Love, love, love it!!!

[Rita C.]

I am more of a dabbler than a babbler myself. I am allergic to Artistic Statements, Mission Statements and too much analysis of artistic work - it takes up valuable time that could otherwise be used creating.