Writing an artist statement

LESSON PLAN 03

by Zoe Martin

zoemartin.com.au

Objectives• Identify 2 different writing styles

• Interpret existing artist statements breaking down format and information

• Recognise various ways to write an artist statement

• List situations which an artist statement can be used for

• Apply knowledge to write notes and own artist statement

Free writing

You have 2 minutes, don’t stop, theme is you as an artist, ready, set, GO…!

“Every man, when he gets quiet, when he becomes desperately honest with himself, is capable of uttering profound truths.”

Henry Miller

Differences...• Here we are using the term artist statement to be a

biography about you as an artist, your influences and career.

• And we use the term didactic to be the informative writing about a specific art work.

• This is just one way of separating the terms to make it simpler to understand – divide and conquer! You can combine the two uses in various ways.

Third person (limited)Jane’s creative influences…

• Less direct but more formal• Longest existing means of conveying• Perhaps most effective• Detached enough to get out of comfort zone• More difficult to write• Can sound pretentious• Flexible • Be an observer of yourself• Attempt to describe yourself by stepping outside yourself• Objective and critical of your own processes

First personMy creative influences…

• More direct• More personal• Literary preference• Daunting because it is so personal• create a character who’s viewpoint you take• Focus on ideal self• Temptation to be pretentious• Can provide critical examination• Interview yourself• Viewers can feel more emotional connection to you• Can be a lazy way ‘I, I , I’• Personal memoir/ icing on the cake• Sympathetic reinforcement to your work

Why is it hard to write about yourself?

• Looking in the mirror• See stuff you probably won’t want to see• Other people have to read it• Sort of a personal performance• Speaking for yourself

Cue video – Gwenn Seemelhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5WJ-GikXgc

Why Oh Why?What artist statements are handy for…

• Exhibitions• Gallery proposals• Competition entry forms• Grant applications• Articles/ press releases• Your website• Your CV• Relevant job interviews• Crowd funding• Philanthropy

Try it for yourself...• Look at your free writing from earlier• Highlight or underline anything/ words, phrases that

stand out• Note them separately• This can be a basis to which to piece together

something unique• Just start! Start in the middle, write notes for the

end… don’t think you have to start at the beginning and struggle through it until the end

This should be an organic process unique to you!

“The first draft of anything is shit.”

Ernest Hemingway