The Artist Statement: How do artists share their story?

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I am new to promoting art. In the past month I have been asked to critique a couple of artist statements. These things are extremely hard to write. In a couple hundred words an artist is suppose to capture what could be years of technical work, and a lifetime of experiences.

This process is not exclusive to traditional artists. We are all creative and often have to articulate our work and the journey that has lead to its creation. And; it is helpful if done in short order. At some point we all by choice or necessity will deliver an elevator pitch about our work. Why not write it out and be prepared.

Below are the thoughts that I have shared with the artists that asked for my thoughts. I will continue to share these ideas and work to refine them. The first portion is very basic to writing, but a good reminder for anyone. The second half is pertinent to writing about art. However, if you change the semantics just a little it could apply to most any transactional experience. Transaction is an exchange based on a need or a connection.

A couple of thoughts on writing:

  1. Be concise! It is better writing and easier to read. Remove ALL words that are extraneous.

  2. Write in the active tense. It is more direct writing and keeps the audience engaged. The action is right in front of them.

  3. Avoid verbosity. It is easy to speak with clichériddled philosophical terms that sound great but have no meaning, especially when talking about art. Imagine a 6thgrader reading your statement and understanding your idea.

A couple of thoughts on art:

  1. Meaningful art is art that people connect to. People connect for a variety of reasons:

  • aesthetic (they like they way it looks)

  • emotional (they like the feeling the piece exudes)

  • emotional (they like the feeling the piece gives them)

  • personal (they like the story of the work)

  • personal (they like the story of the artist)

  • perspectives (they like/(are challenged by) the new view of the world)

  • philosophical (they like the idea being presented)

  • technical (they appreciate the skill that the work required)

  1. A connection to art is what leads to a financial transaction for the art.

  2. Art should speak for itself. However; for those less trained and experienced with art, the statement should help them, not confuse them. And even for those trained and experienced in art, the statement should enrich the experience not bog them down.

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I have two book recommendations that have shaped these philosophies:

The Elements of Style: By William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White

Active Sights: Art as Social Interaction: Timothy Van Laar and Leonard Diepeveen

THis post may or may not have been fueled by this.

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Why Right Now?

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The time has come. I have decided to start blogging. But why write now?
 
I confess this first post is for me. I will likely need to revisit it in the future to find encouragement in why I felt it important to express my thoughts to the world. In the end, I do not want to contribute to this notion.
 
I find my self writing now for 3 significant reasons.

  1. Writing is a good thing.
  2. Surprisingly, more people are interested in what I have to say.
  3. Writing is a habit I want to form and what better time then Lent.

I have a bias towards non-fiction writing. In particular, I like a good biography. As I have read the lives  of savory (and less savory) folks, I find myself wondering how so much is known about the lives of people that  have shaped history. It then dawns on me, that many of my hero’s were meticulous note takers of their own lives.  Rockefeller kept a personal ledger on him at all times. Ego likely compelled many to  document their lives, but I also think they understood the value of writing out your thoughts.  Written thoughts are easier to remember and much easier to manipulate into a plan. And, writing is a window to our own mind and therefore a tool for creativity. Julie Cameron sings the praises of writing in Artist Way, a book on recovering creativity. She prescribes 3 long hand pages every morning before you do anything else.
 
The corollary to this point is that writing is not my forte’. I have hidden too long behind my degrees in engineering as a reason for my inability to accurately capture a thought in media. I am 10 years removed from solving a differential equation and now in an industry that relies on telling stories. It is time to refine my skills in the fire of “comments”. Critique is welcome on the writing itself and the content.
 
Writing is an important practice, but why am I compelled to share my ponderings. Lately, I have been pleasantly surprised by the number of people who want to share their ideas with me. I have been even more surprised when they ask what I think.  A couple of things have happened in these conversations. I find myself repeating anecdotes and thoughts, and I realize that what I think might have value to other people. My writing will increase efficiency and may benefit more people. Not to mention a few people I respect have been giving friendly nudges to put some thoughts down. I assume this is so they can respond or include it in their own philosophical rhetoric.

Writing will help me and it may help others, but why start now? I am quite late to the blog-o-sphere but I recognize that our current age runs on Google juice. Blogs provide the nectar of that juice. Furthermore, last Wednesday marked the start of Lent. One of my take-aways from Lent is the notion that prior to fulfilling his passion, Jesus spent a duration of time fasting and studying. Even the son of God took a moment to shape his destiny by developing habits. What I find interesting is that we often highlight the sacrifice (fasting) and not the addition (study). Good discipline is BOTH removing excesses and adding healthy activity. I seek to add a good habit this year. I hope you enjoy.

This post may or may not have been fueled by this.

A note about what is to come. As a promoter of Art; I hope to share musings on public art, community art, entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, and many other challenging and interesting topics.

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