Sample Artist Statement
Sample Artist Statement
Sample Artist Statement
accessories.
Molly Gordon
Martin Langford - Artist Statement
I don't set out to produce art about one subject or another. I'm never without a sketchbook to hand so I am
constantly drawing and sometimes the drawings are left in the sketchbook and other times they develop
into more in-depth ideas and detailed images.
I didn't set out to be an environmental artist or to create artwork relating to social commentary but as my
portfolio developed and people started to review my work, the descriptions started to emerge and I began to
notice a pattern I hadn't intended but am now please with.
My work tends to focus on the environment, the evolution of man and his material wealth, the development
of bigger and bigger cities, more and more people, cars and industry on the planet and the consequences
this has on nature. Some reviews have labeled my work as 'black humour' but I always try to depict a
positive message too - the persistence of nature in recapturing what once belonged to the earth.
At school, the only class I really paid any attention in was art. I simply wasn't interested in anything else
and I think my obsession with depicting the monotony of the work place and work force started there...
Some of my subject matter is about people's daily routines and a comment on human nature. And since I've
always been a fan of mafia films - a new strand of work seems to have emerged depicting a very 'human'
and 'school playground' side to mob life.
None of it was intentional - it all developed and evolved over time. People always ask for my artist
statement so I needed to do one but I've never liked to explain a certain piece of work - if you've made a
picture and that's how you wanted it to be - hopefully it can speak for itself and whatever it says to the
viewer - it's the right message because there isn't a wrong and a right message. Each person takes
something a little different from the same picture and I'm happy with that.
Influences
My influences are first and foremost everything I see, feel and experience, but I've always loved comic
books particularly work by Harvey Pekar and Robert Crumb. I love architecture particularly Art Deco. The
artists I most admire are John Martin, a mezzotint artist from the 1800's, Winsor McCay a cartoonist and
animator who created Little Nemo, Escher and Lyonel Feininger creator of Kinder Kids. I grew up
watching films such as Metropolis, Flash Gordon, Star Wars and Brazil.
Martin Langford
art to begin with; it never excludes. Rest assured that those who read your statement and want to know
more will christen you with ample opportunities to get technical, metaphysical, philosophical, personal,
emotional, moralistic, socially relevant, historical, environmentally responsible, political, autobiographical,
anecdotal, or twisty with jargon-- LATER, NOT NOW.
Like an introduction to a book, your statement presents the fundamental underpinnings of your art; write it
for people who like what they see and want to know more, not those who already know you and everything
your art is about. In three to five paragraphs of three to five sentences each, provide basic information like
WHY YOU MAKE YOUR ART, WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO MAKE IT, WHAT IT SIGNIFIES OR
REPRESENTS, WHAT'S UNIQUE OR SPECIAL ABOUT HOW YOU MAKE IT, and briefly, WHAT IT
MEANS TO YOU. Don't bog readers down, but rather entice them to want to know more. As with any
good first impression, your statement should hook and invite further inquiry, like a really good story is
about to unfold. Give too little, not too much.
People have short attention spans. When you overload readers with details, you risk drowning them in
minutia, and discouraging those who might otherwise persevere if you keep it simple. Address and answer
commonly asked questions about your art. Save the complicated stuff for those who progress to the next
level. Don't worry about having to satisfy your dedicated fans. You won't bore them and you won't lose
them; they already love you. And if they have questions, they know how to get them answered.
Remember-- your statement is about broadening your audience, not keeping it static. You'll have plenty of
time to give your most recent converts the grand tour-- LATER, NOT NOW-- you have to convert them
first.
Plus this... your statement is about you, so personalize it. Write it in the first person, not like you're talking
about yourself in the abstract. Infuse it with your unique perspective. Whenever possible, make it
conversational, like you're speaking directly to readers (note: a good editor can work wonders here). The
more complicated, theoretical, arcane, inscrutable, bloated, pompous, elitist, egotistical, bombastic,
arrogant or impersonal your statement, the more trouble people will have trying to hack through it and
connecting with you and your art on meaningful levels. Few readers want to burn calories trying to
decipher complexities; they burn 'em all day long. For now, they just want to see your art, take it easy, have
fun and enjoy themselves.
Additional considerations:
* Not all artists can write well. If you're in that category, think seriously about hiring a professional writer
or editor, preferably one with an art background, to help you convey what you want your statement to
convey in language that ordinary everyday people can understand.
* Make "I" statements rather than "you" statements. Talk about what your art does for you, not what it's
supposed to do for the viewers. This doesn't mean you start every sentence with "I," but rather that you
respect people's autonomy and allow them to respond to your art however they wish.
* At all times, give readers the option to agree or disagree with you. Never pressure them or attempt to
dictate outcomes.
* Avoid comparative or evaluative comments that have been made about your art by third parties such as
gallery owners, critics, collectors, or curators. These belong in your bio, resume or curriculum vitae. In
your statement, they're name-dropping; in your curriculum vitae, they're testimonials.
* Connect what your art expresses with the medium that you're expressing it in. For example, if your art is
about world peace, and it consists of twigs protruding from pieces of clay, explain the connection.
Arbitrarily stating that twig/clay protrusions represent world peace leaves people wondering. If of course,
the object of your art or your statement is to leave people wondering, then that's OK. In art everything is
OK, but in order to succeed as an artist, someone beside yourself generally has to get the point of what
you're doing.
* Be specific, not vague. For example, if your art is "inspired by assessments of the fundamentals of the
natural world," tell which fundamentals you're assessing and how they inspire you.
* Avoid obscure references to music, art, literature, history, or anything else that requires detailed
explanation or gobs of previous knowledge. If you have to make such a reference, explain it fast so that
people know what you're talking about. If you can't do it fast, do it later.
* Tell the story about what led up to your art ONLY if it's short, compelling, and really really relevant.
People are generally not interested in progressions of antecedent events. Something leads up to everything;
we all know that.
* Avoid comparing yourself to other artists. If other artists influence you, fine, but don't say, "Like Picasso,
I do this" or "Like Judd, I do that." Instead, say something like "Picasso's Blue and Rose paintings
influence how I use yellow." Better yet, leave other artists out of your statement altogether. Let the critics
decide who you're like. Plus you don't want to invite comparisons between yourself and the greatest artists
who've ever lived. We all know who the victor's gonna be there.
* Don't instruct people on how to see, feel, behave, respond, or otherwise relate to your art. Nobody likes
being told what to do. Instead of saying "You will experience angst when you see my art," say "This art
expresses my angst" or "I express my angst through my art." Or go see a therapist and work it all out.
***
Before you go public with your statement, get feedback. Show your art and statement to friends, friends'
friends, and maybe even a stranger or two. Make sure they get it, that they understand what you want them
to understand. When they don't, or you have to explain yourself, do a rewrite and eliminate the confusion.
If you need help, find someone who writes or edits and have them fix the problem. Many times, a little
rearranging is all that's necessary to make your statement a clean clear read.
No matter how good your statement is, know up front that most people will read it and move on; only a few
will want to know more, fewer yet will want to know everything, and fewer yet will ultimately progress to
the point where they actually buy something. That's simply the nature of art and personal taste. Having said
that, never underestimate the power of an effective statement to intensify, enhance and advance how people
experience your art.