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Art is not just about colors on canvas; it's much more than that. It's your imagination, feeling, and innermost thought that you put on canvas with beautiful colors. Yet sometimes, people need help understanding what you want to convey.
Now the riddle is how to express your art to a broad audience.
Well, the answer lies in your Artist Statement!
An artist's statement is not just a piece of paper with words. It is a bridge between your creative vision and the outside world. It is a window into your soul, a glimpse of the passion and inspiration that drives you to create your art piece. However, crafting an artist statement can be daunting. That's why we've compiled a list of key points in this guide to help you write an effective artist statement.
This guide will explore "why" an artist statement for your art career is essential. Also, we will provide practical tips for crafting statements that will benefit you when you participate in international art competitions at TERAVARNA.
We'll also showcase inspiring examples of artist statements that effectively convey the artist's vision and give their work a more profound meaning. Whether you've just begun or are a professional, keep reading this guide to create a compelling artist statement.
Artist Statement - An Overview
Here's a quick introduction if you are a beginner or need to become more familiar with artist statements. An artist statement is basically a written document that clearly and concisely describes your creative vision, inspiration, and artistic process. It is an excellent opportunity to communicate your artistic vision in words to the audience, gallery owners, and art critics.
As a statement, it can range from a few sentences to several pages, depending on your preference and the context. You can also add this to your portfolio, exhibition catalog, or website.
Is Artist Statement & Artist Bio The Same?
Confusing an artist's statement with a bio is common. If that's the case, remember that both are entirely different. An artist bio summarizes the life events that led to your art career. It may include details about your education, training, and inspirations. On the other hand, an artist statement describes your artistic vision, process, and the ideas behind your work. An artist bio is written in the third person and is often used on websites, gallery profiles, and articles. It is relative and remains constant throughout your career.
However, an artist's statement is more flexible and may change depending on your work's context, purpose, and development. It is typically required for art competitions and international art gallery exhibitions.
Why is an Artist's Statement Important?
Without any doubt, having an artist statement is essential for your artwork. Below are some reasons to help you gain more insight into the artist statement's part in your career.
Communicates Your Creative Vision: An artist statement allows you to express your ideas, philosophy, and inspiration behind your art to your audience clearly and effectively.
Sets Your Work Apart: A well-crafted artist statement can give your work a deeper meaning and purpose. Thus, it makes your artwork stand out and increases its value.
Helps Build Your Online Presence: Your artist statement can be the basis for your website or portfolio, helping you establish an online presence.
Entry To International Art Competitions: Many art competitions require an artist statement as a part of the submission process. A well-crafted artist statement can increase your chances of being selected for the competition.
A Flexible Tool To Boost Your Career: Your artist statement can be revised and updated to suit different contexts, purposes, and career stages. It is a valuable tool for communicating your artistic growth and development to your audience.
What Are The Main Components Of An Artist Statement?
As mentioned above, an artist's statement uniquely reflects your artwork and varies in length, tone, and purpose. As an artist, before creating an artist statement, you first need to understand the components to get started with its process.
For a well-crafted artist statement, here are some key components in common. These essential elements answer your audience in "how," "what," and "why" about your artwork.
Medium, Materials, & Methods: Firstly, to answer the "how," you can describe the medium, materials, and methods you use to create your art. In this statement, you can include information about the medium you use (acrylic, oil paint, or charcoal) and the materials (metals, wood, stone, or recycled materials). You can also describe the tools and techniques you use to create your art, such as old film cameras, darkroom experience while developing photographs, or digital camera techniques.
Describe Subject: Secondly, to answer the "what," you can describe your subject without labeling it directly. For example, you can explain your work as an abstract painting, a landscape, or your interpretation of an everyday object. You can also choose not to label your work, allowing your audience to interpret it for themselves.
Connection Between Your Ideas and Materials Used: Finally, to answer the "why," you can discuss the relationship between your concept and materials. This is the chance where you explain why you create your art in the way you do, what your influences are, and what you hope to achieve through your work. You can also explain your intent and a specific message through your art.
By answering these questions, creating an effective artist statement that helps your audience understand and appreciate your artwork at the abstract art competition 2023 will become easier.
Tips to To Articulate Your Creative Vision In An Artist Statement
As an artist, it is tricky to put your imagination into words that reflect the meaning behind your visual art. But don't worry! Here are a few effective tips that'll help you write an effective artist statement for your artwork:
Write In The First Person/Active Voice: Use "I" and "me" to connect with your readers and share your unique perspectives. Writing in the third person sounds more professional but creates a gap between you and your readers.
Voice Out Your Personality: Your writing style should reflect your personality, whether that's humorous, technical, or heartfelt. Don't copy someone else's words; share your experiences and insights.
Consider Your Audience: Depending on the situation, you may need to adjust your tone and focus more on your goal, purpose, or techniques. Create different versions of your artist statement to save time later on.
Answer The Right Questions Properly: Your artist statement should address the "how," the "what," and the "why" of your art. Consider what questions a prospective buyer, grant-giving organization, or art competition judge might have.
Write in Easy-To-Read Language: Avoid using overly technical language and art jargon. Precise, accessible vocabulary will enlighten your audience and make your statement more effective.
Read Your Statement Aloud: Reading your artist's statement out loud should sound like you. You can also seek unbiased third-party feedback to identify grammatical errors, inconsistencies, or confusing comparisons.
Remember, for an artist statement, you should write between 100-200 words paragraphs with short lines. Thus, it will help you grab more attention. Therefore by following these tips, you can create an artist statement that effectively communicates your creative vision for your abstract art at an abstract art gallery.
Sample Artist Statements From International Art Gallery "TERAVARNA"
As an international art gallery, Teravarna aims to provide a platform for budding, emerging, and professional artists. As such, we encourage open artistic expression and help artists publicly showcase their artwork. We invite people who appreciate the visual arts to visit our abstract art gallery or even enter international art competitions.
To encourage you, here are some inspiring artist statements from artists featured in our past exhibitions. These statements are all unique reflections and visions of the featured artists:
Artist Statement By Alena Fadeeva(Russia).
"Abstract painting is abstract translations of feelings and a search for beauty in non-obvious things."
Artist Statement By Alba Jimenez(Spain)
"Art is a form of expression of my feelings, and I want to provoke a reaction from the people who look at my artwork."
Artist Statement By Atila Salviano(BRAZIL)
"There are numerous ways to learn something, and my favorite is through experience."
Finally!
After knowing why an artist's statement is important for your artwork, it's time to try it for yourself. It'll help you, as well as your audience, to know about your art better.
Please feel free to write your artist statement with the help of these tips and submit your best artwork at TERAVARNA. We organize the best open-theme international art competitions where you can submit your abstract art or any other artwork you want to exhibit and sell from our virtual international art gallery.