Clips l Dreaded Artist Statement

In the previous post, you read about how to use the diigo toolbar to do highlighting and clipping, so here comes another instance of clipping - a topic i found in the forum of Art Face-off, Dreaded Artist Statement, crucial and elemental for every newbie. If you click on Annotated, you can see the highlightings and they are being "blogged" (or clipped) as follow. I haven't changed my statement for a while, and maybe it's about time for yours to get a face-lift.

Forum : Art Face Off :: View topic - Dreaded Artist Statement Annotated

most artists' statements become overly personal explanations about what art means to you and what you are trying to accomplish in your work things that are better saved for personal journal musings than for a public artist statement.

Artists need to know how to intelligently talk about their work, their influences, the sources for their imagery, and answer any questions about their technique.

artist's responsibility to see themselves in an art historical context and understand how they fit into the contemporary art world, regardless of the reasons that drive them to create

Most artists don't realize that many art reviewers make their living as writers, often making their services available to galleries or museums for catalog essays or miscellaneous writing jobs.

If hiring a professional is absolutely out of your realm and you must prepare an artist's statement yourself, here are some general guidelines to follow:

* Don't get personal. Keep the reasons why you make art to yourself.

* Educate, but don't preach. Imagine what you would like said if someone was explaining your work.

* Complete this sentence "This series is based on......."

* Mention important influences, artists as well as writers, that may set a context for your work.

* Discuss the process or technique if it is particularly unusual or an important element in understanding your media.

It's best to only give out your artist statement when it is requested, not as part of an unsolicited package. This alleviates the problem of telling someone more than they want to know, allowing for questions and interaction, and offers the opportunity for follow up.