You want your art to speak for itself, but viewers will often have questions.  The point of an artist statement is to answer questions for the viewer when you are not around.

Consider the Facts

An artist statement is the basic introduction to your artwork.  When starting to write an artist statement, first consider these five questions:
1.  Why this subject matter?
2.  What does it signify?
3.  How did you create it?
4.  What is it made out of?
5.  What does it mean to you?

Remember Less is More

Don’t overload the reader with a whole manifesto about your work.  A good artist statement should be no more than 2-3 paragraphs long.

Keep it Personal

Don’t use flowery, complex language and text-book terms.  Keep it accessible and conversational, as if you were actually talking to the viewer.  Don’t write about yourself from the third person – keep it in your perspective, using the pronoun “I”.  A good artist statement should be from you, so avoid adding quotes about your art from critics or curators.  This is not the place for testimonials!

Be Specific

Readers will not grasp vague, generalized concepts.  For example, you should not make statements like, “My art reflects my views on the beauty in our world.”  What is it about the world that you find beautiful?  This is your opportunity to express your point of view, not gush about your general feelings about the world around you.  Every artist and their mom can say how they feel, but let the reader know why your art has meaning and holds value.

Don’t Instruct

Your artist statement is not an instruction manual.  Never tell the viewer what they should be thinking or feeling.  Instead of saying “Viewers will see my happiness in the brush strokes,” say “I express my happiness in the brush strokes”.  The viewer should have the option to agree or disagree with you!

Make it Interesting

Your first sentence should hook the viewer, pique their curiosity enough to continue reading.  While you should answer some basic questions about the work, your statement should also invite more questions.  Give them too little, not too much.

Revisit Your Statement

As you grow as an artist, so should your artist statement.  Different bodies of work will have different ideas and concepts behind them.  You may want to create a general artist statement, and then supplement that with a statement specific to each show.

Consider rewriting your statement if it:

• Contains vague terms and ideas
• Lacks confidence (Look for sentences like “I tried…” and “I wanted to express…”)
• Doesn’t answer any of the viewer’s questions
• Compares your art to a famous artist (you are your own artist, let the critics make the comparison)
• Too Biographical (Does it contain details about your life or education not directly relation to why or how you create art?)

An artist statement is required for exhibition with Artwork Network.  If you are struggling, we are happy to offer feedback (and grammatical edits) to your rough draft!