How To Write Your Artist Statement

It’s the often-dreaded moment for an artist…you have to write your Artist Statement. I’ve said it, too - Why do I have to write an artist statement? After all, we’re artists, not writers!

Feeling the pressure of being both artist and writer? You’re not alone. Connecting with your audience by explaining your visual art through written words can be a challenge. I rewrote my own artist statement at least six times. However, it doesn’t have to be painful.

First, let’s start at the beginning.

What is an Artist Statement?

Simply put, an artist statement is a not-too-long series of sentences that describe what you make and why you make it. It’s a stand-in for you, the artist, talking to someone about your work in a way that adds to their experience of viewing that work. You can have an artist statement for each piece of art or series of works you create. You can also have an artist statement that represents your entire body of work.

You’ll be asked to submit artist statements when you apply for residencies, grants, and often, for exhibition opportunities. I wrote my first one for an exhibition I applied for and I’ve tweaked it several times since then for other exhibitions and events. And here’s the deal: even though they can be hard to write, they’re immensely useful beyond submitting it. It truly helps you understand your own art practice by sitting down every few weeks/months and translating this nonverbal, solitary art practice into words.

Artist statements take time, but they don’t have to be torture. If you can get into the habit of stepping back, evaluating your work, and writing a few sentences about it, you won’t have to start from scratch when you need an actual, coherent statement.

Your Artist Statement is NOT:

-        A manifesto

-        An art history lecture

-        A story about discovering art

-        Short fiction

-        Self-psychoanalyis

-        A string of adjectives

-        A grand theory of everything you’ve ever made

-        A list of your career accomplishments (See CV)

-        Your artist biography (See Artist Bio)

The Elements of An Artist Statement

Artist statements vary in length, tone, and purpose. However, all effective artist statements share similar qualities. They answer the how, what, and why.

Medium, materials, and methods – Describing the medium and the materials you use to answer the “how.” How do you create your art? Do you use acrylic, oil paint, or soft pastels? Do you use metals, wood, stone, or recycled materials? Do you take your photography work using old film cameras and develop them in your darkroom or do you use a digital camera?

Subject matter – Visual artists often prefer not to put labels on their work to let their audience interpret the work for themselves. And sometimes subject matters aren’t always obvious. However, you can describe your subject matter without directly saying what it is. You can answer the “what” by saying it’s an abstract painting, a landscape, or your interpretation of whatever it is.

Relationship between concept and materials – Talk about your influences and how they manifest in your work. This answers the “why.” Explain why you do what you do and what you hope to achieve. What are your intentions? What message do you hope to convey?

Tips for Writing an Artist Statement

Write in the first person – While some may argue that third person sounds more professional, the goal of your artist statement is to communicate your work effectively. And the best way to do that is to use your own words, active voice, and first person language to connect with your audience. When crafting your artist statement, imagine you’re having a conversation with a friend, use “I” and “me.” Allow people to see your work through your eyes.

Use your voice – Your voice refers to your writing personality. We each have our own unique way of speaking and writing. Your style may be humorous, witty, technical, or heartfelt. While many artists may have inspired your work, don’t copy other artist’s words to describe your art. You want this to be expressive about YOU and YOUR WORK.

Keep it succinct and to the point – An artist’s statement accompanying a single piece of work can be a few sentences or a short paragraph. Generally, an artist’s statement should only be between 100 – 300 words. The length can vary depending on the intended purpose for the artist statement.

Use accessible language – Avoid overly technical language and art jargon that the average reader may not understand. Plus, it can be intimidating. And while an art expert or a scholar may understand complex art terms, using fancy words can also come off as pretentious. Instead, use clear, accessible, everyday words that will enlighten your audience rather than confuse them.

Read your statement out loud – When you read your artist statement out loud, does it sound like you or someone else? Do you stumble over any parts of it? Remember, your artist statement should sound natural coming from you. After all, it is your words and your voice. Read your statement to a fellow visual artist, teacher, mentor, or even an art critic. Sometimes it helps to seek the opinion of an unbiased third party who has no formal art background. Ask them if they understand what you’re trying to say. Also ask them to point out any inconsistencies, grammar errors, or confusing comparisons.

Examples of Great Artist Statements

To get inspiration when it’s time to write about your work, read some artist statements from reliable sources such as art news, artist books, related articles, artist websites, and art business publications. Here are a few of my favorite artist statements:

“I don’t paint things; I paint only the differences between things… I do not literally paint that table, but the emotion it produces upon me. What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter – a soothing, calming influence on the mind, rather like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue.”

– Henri Matisse

Henri Matisse wrote this artist statement for his painting Harmony in Red (1908), considered to be Matisse’s masterpiece by many critics and art historians. While this statement is over a hundred years old, it shows that a well-written artist statement stands the test of time and secures itself in art history.

“Getting outside is good for the soul. Through my artwork, I try to bring the outside in. While I make no attempt to portray actual plants or animals, I do want my creations to look like they could have lived or grown somewhere. Living with beautiful objects that pay tribute to the natural world reminds us to slow down and helps us reconnect with nature.”

– Alison Sigethy

Alison Sigethy is an artist who makes environmentally themed sculptures out of glass. In her artist statement, she explains beautifully where she draws inspiration from when creating kinetic water features and nature-inspired glass art.

“When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it’s your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else… Nobody really sees a flower – really – it is so small – we haven’t time – and to see takes time… So I said to myself – I’ll paint what I see – what the flower is to me but I’ll paint it big and they will be surprised into taking time to look at it.”

– Georgia O’Keeffe

Georgia O’Keefe’s artist statement puts focus on the piece’s subject matter, the flower. She talks about her motivations for painting it.

While my artist statement is on the longer side, I adjust it for different circumstances as needed. On my website, I go into a little more detail than I would typically in my shorter artist statement. You can read my own artist statement here: https://www.katcollinsart.com/about-kat