Classification -  the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood.

titles

Pornographic Drawings (1997)

The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living

IKEA

Cath Kitson

Damien Hurst

Forms Without Life

Isolated Elements Swimming in the Same Direction for the Purpose of

Understanding

A Thousand Years

I Wanna Be Me No Fun

Cornelia Parker

Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View (1991)

“Mass (Colder Darker Matter), 1997 / Charcoal retrieved from a church struck by lightening / With thanks to the Baptist Church of Lytle, Texas”. 

MartinCreed

Work No 268 Work No 567

Work No 15 Work No 701

Tom Friedman

Untitled 1990 A partially used bar of soap inlaid with a spiral of pubic hair 7.6 x 10.2 x 3.8 cm   3 x 4 x 1½"

Untitled 1995 Plastic, hair, fuzz, play doh, wire, paint 1.9 x 1.27 x 0.6 cm

Untitled 1990 The artist writes his signature repeatedly for the life of a pen 106.7 cm

Why bother?

titles as an entry point To your workTo the ideas behind the work

The story of youThe story of its making

Titles help your work to be distinguished among numerous works.

Titled works are easier to find and to file in organizing systems.

Titled work is easier for you to talk about and refer people to.

The more unique each title is, the better.

If you have a series of numbers, you might forget how Green floral #1 is different from Green floral #5.

It’s difficult to write about untitled artworks or designs because readers have to be clear about which piece is being discussed. When faced with untitled work, the writer must use a lot of text describing which untitled work they are referring to.

Intriguing titles are cause for contemplation.

Untitled or loosely titled works allow the viewer more freedom to interpret,

but certain audiences and contexts need and want guidance.

An interesting title might be enough for a viewer to stop, think, and look back at your work

A title gives a work a name. That name, if unique, helps to create an identity for the work.

A unique name and identity is then helpful for:

establishing copyright specific to a piece of artwork (one "untitled floral" artwork sounds pretty much like the next)

A unique name and identity is then helpful for:

helping others to reference your work - creating documentary records about your artwork andfiling records of your artwork

A unique name and identity is then helpful for:

writing about your work - titles make it easier for reviewers and critics to write about your work.

A unique name and identity is then helpful for:

despatching your work to/from exhibitions and shops with those who are storing your artwork for you.

A unique name and identity is then helpful for:

discussions about the artwork with your audience – galleries, shops and clients.

A unique name and identity is then helpful for:

getting the right title with the right work in a catalogue or database.

A unique name and identity is then helpful for:

getting the right piece of artwork/object to the right client.

A unique name and identity is then helpful for:

finding your work on the Internet  - search engines find titles.

I want to spend the rest of my life everywhere, with everyone, one to one, always, forever, now.

so 

Your workPlease take out of your mind or your bag the work you have brought with you.

How?Consider key words. 

Description Intention  MaterialsResearch - 

Narrow it down – make a list. 

Look at your artwork. What were you trying to show with your piece? 

Beauty Hidden depth and meaning A moral messageProcessHistoryResearch

What makes the piece unique?

Strategy – Pretend you're the viewer of the piece, not the creator of it. 

What would stand out to you most? 

What would you like most? 

Strategy - Figure out what type of image you want to convey, even before the person looks at it. 

"A Sunny Day" makes you think of a clear, sunny sky, 

"Irises" makes you think of a garden, or just flowers.

Strategy - trick Alliteration helps titles (the repetition of a beginning sound), as does anything that lets it roll off the tongue.