The Purpose of An Artist Statement

“Don’t you have anything by the artist about her work?” “ I ask,” he said, “but it is like pulling teeth to get artists to give me material about themselves or their work.” I left, rounded-shouldered with disappointed. The paintings had connected me to a sense of beauty and wildness inside myself, which opened a desire for more connection. I wanted the peak behind the canvas. Compelling art will do this, and it is what artists should reverently hope for an encourage in any way they can. “The purpose of an artist statement is to create an emotional bridge between the person who views a work of art and the artist who did it the work. (…) We are magnets for each other’s stories and how they connect to our own lives, hopes and dreams. Connection is the web of life, and none of us want to be left out. What inspired this artist? How did she work? Why did she choose this set of images? (…) (…) The first thing to remember is that the self-reflection of an artist statement is not an evaluation of your work, but a personal revelation about your relationship to your work and its process. It is a statement deeply related to the essence of the artist in relationship to the essence and process of the artwork. (…) Once you grasp the purpose of an artist statement, what it does for you and your viewers, it is only a few more steps to understanding how to write a statement that will represent you well, and honor your work. If you dig deep enough, you find that an artist statement is an act of self-definition, bound only in the moment that you, the artist, choose. Like your art (…) an artist statement is also bound by the construction of specific words in a moment in time. And like the art it represents, an artist statement can always be unbound, or re-bound again and again. Or deleted. Tossed. Re-written. And all by the artist exercising her personal power of choice. (…)" Ariane Goodwin "Writing the Artist Statement"