Art News

How to Write Your Artist's Statement

26 Tips for Expressing Your Artistic Vision

By Renée Phillips, The Artrepreneur Coach

Renée Phillips is the Director of Manhattan Arts International, an author of several books and a public speaker. She is known as "The Artrepreneur Coach" and provides empowering life and career strategies for creative individuals.

This article is an excerpt from the chapter "Writing It Right" in her book Presentation Power Tools for Fine Artists.

What is the Artist's Statement and Why do you need one?

The Artist's Statement is a brief narrative that describes the body of your work and its meaning. It is often the only tool the observer of your work has to fully understand your work, the way you intended it to be understood. It also serves as a promotional tool to avoid misinterpretations of your work.

The artist’s statement serves as a useful written tool that accompanies other presentation materials when approaching dealers, art consultants, collectors, grant givers and the press.

It also serves as a basis from which to develop a verbal response when someone asks you about your work. In our fast-paced society, there are many times you will be faced with little time to describe your work. As an artist you should be prepared with a succinct and meaningful explanation at a moment’s notice.

The artist’s statement is used in part or in its complete form for a number of important tools including:

• Cover Letter to a Gallery
• Biography
• Grant Proposal
• Juried Competition
• Exhibition Proposal
• Curator Proposal
• Press Release
• Exhibition Catalogue
• Promotional Brochure
• Your Verbal Introduction
• Agents’ Sales Presentation
• Artwork in an Exhibition
• Artwork on the Internet
• Public Speaking Opportunities

26 Quick Tips

1. It is important to find your own voice and not to copy that of another artist.
2. Write the Artist's Statement in the first person (I, not she or he.)
3. Keep your length to one, double-spaced, typewritten page.
4.Use "picture words" to express yourself in the most articulate manner.
5. Explain the motivation behind your process.
6. Explain how your work develops and evolves during the creative process.
7. Describe your medium and your style.
8. Relate your technique and style to your medium and your vision and philosophy.
9. Avoid self-doubt statements such as "I try to…"
10. Avoid the use of jargon and cliché. What may be understood to Americans may have a different connotation to a European audience.10. Avoid the use of jargon and cliché.
11. Discuss the way(s) in which your work, medium, technique or vision is unique.
12. If appropriate mention your use of ancient or modern symbols or historical influences.
13. If you work in series, explain how they are connected - if they are.
14. If you work in series but they are dissimilar write a different artist's statement for each series of work.
15. Write honestly and avoid writing in a tone that speaks down to your reader.
16. Avoid grandiose and empty expressions.
17. Avoid simplification.
18. Avoid being overly technical.
19. Avoid self-doubt statements such as "I try to. or I hope... "
20. Avoid repetition.
21. Vary sentence structure and length.
22. Adjust the length of your sentence to relate to the complexity of the idea.
23. After you write your artist's statement, try it out on someone who is not involved in the art world to ensure its clarity.
24. Use spell check. Have someone who is good with grammar proofread it for you to check for misspelled words and typographical errors.
25. If you find the task extremely difficult, don't hesitate to obtain some coaching or editing from a professional art writer.
26. To help you get started keep a journal to record your ideas, before, during and after a creative session in the studio.

Read more articles by Renée Phillips.