Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Posted by Unknown |
How to Write a Photographer's Artist Statement

If there is a painting that accurately represents most artists' feelings about writing statements for their work, it is probably Edvard Munch's "The Scream." Photographers are no exception. People hate writing about their work for various reasons, including modesty, writer's block and the fear of coming off as pretentious. Although many photographers' artist statements can be a huge pain, learning to write them well can be key to having more people connect with your art. It can also be a great marketing tool that can increase your sales. If you are pursuing a career in art photography, mastering the artist statement is worthwhile.

Instructions

    1

    Take some time to think about your photography. Ask yourself what motivates you, what emotions compel you to create your work, what emotions your work manifests and what inspires you. Take notes as you discover more about your own photographs. Do not censor yourself as you write. Let the ideas flow freely. Writing down ideas about your art will help you to communicate them concretely to a large audience.

    2

    Distill your ideas and notes into a cohesive, clear statement about your work. Use language understandable to the general public, so that viewers of your work relate to you as an artist. A typical artist's statement usually ranges from 100 to 250 words. As a general rule of thumb, less is more. It is better to get your ideas across in two paragraphs than to ramble on about your work.

    3

    Write in the first person with an active voice. Be straightforward in writing about how and why you make photographs. Set aside your modesty and write with confidence. Writing confidently does not mean writing arrogantly, but it is important to make yourself look good as curators, journalists, and art or photography enthusiasts will read your statement.

    4

    Avoid pretentious language or excessive "art talk" in your prose. Your goal is to help viewers of your work understand your photography and your methods. There is no need to talk in cryptic tones over the viewer's head to seem more sophisticated. You are using your writing to develop a relationship between the patron, yourself and your work.

    5

    Include tangible information about the composition or techniques used in your photographs. The aesthetic makeup of your photos is significant and deserves some acknowledgment. Note any unusual process you used to create your photographs. Sharing your technical abilities is a great way to gain the attention of other photographers and artists. Any innovative approaches you used to create your photography deserves mention and may interest buyers. Use universal art terms like "line," "space," "color," "shape" and "balance" to describe the essence of design.

    6

    Update your artist statement periodically. Like any other piece of writing, it can never be finished but merely abandoned. However, as time goes by, you may make some new discoveries about your photographs or enhance your experience as an artist; these new observations and experiences are worth jotting down. Be sure to keep copies of the old and new drafts alike, so that you can revise appropriately your artist statement.


How to Write a Photographer's Artist Statement

If there is a painting that accurately represents most artists' feelings about writing statements for their work, it is probably Edvard Munch's "The Scream." Photographers are no exception. People hate writing about their work for various reasons, including modesty, writer's block and the fear of coming off as pretentious. Although many photographers' artist statements can be a huge pain, learning to write them well can be key to having more people connect with your art. It can also be a great marketing tool that can increase your sales. If you are pursuing a career in art photography, mastering the artist statement is worthwhile.

Instructions

    1

    Take some time to think about your photography. Ask yourself what motivates you, what emotions compel you to create your work, what emotions your work manifests and what inspires you. Take notes as you discover more about your own photographs. Do not censor yourself as you write. Let the ideas flow freely. Writing down ideas about your art will help you to communicate them concretely to a large audience.

    2

    Distill your ideas and notes into a cohesive, clear statement about your work. Use language understandable to the general public, so that viewers of your work relate to you as an artist. A typical artist's statement usually ranges from 100 to 250 words. As a general rule of thumb, less is more. It is better to get your ideas across in two paragraphs than to ramble on about your work.

    3

    Write in the first person with an active voice. Be straightforward in writing about how and why you make photographs. Set aside your modesty and write with confidence. Writing confidently does not mean writing arrogantly, but it is important to make yourself look good as curators, journalists, and art or photography enthusiasts will read your statement.

    4

    Avoid pretentious language or excessive "art talk" in your prose. Your goal is to help viewers of your work understand your photography and your methods. There is no need to talk in cryptic tones over the viewer's head to seem more sophisticated. You are using your writing to develop a relationship between the patron, yourself and your work.

    5

    Include tangible information about the composition or techniques used in your photographs. The aesthetic makeup of your photos is significant and deserves some acknowledgment. Note any unusual process you used to create your photographs. Sharing your technical abilities is a great way to gain the attention of other photographers and artists. Any innovative approaches you used to create your photography deserves mention and may interest buyers. Use universal art terms like "line," "space," "color," "shape" and "balance" to describe the essence of design.

    6

    Update your artist statement periodically. Like any other piece of writing, it can never be finished but merely abandoned. However, as time goes by, you may make some new discoveries about your photographs or enhance your experience as an artist; these new observations and experiences are worth jotting down. Be sure to keep copies of the old and new drafts alike, so that you can revise appropriately your artist statement.



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