Kimmie has asked me to write about an Artist's CV, but I thought I would start with an Artist's Statement. Sometimes as artists we are required to write an Artist's Statement. When is this required? Generally when you submit work for an exhibition. Recently I had to write one for an exhibition, it was not easy and did a lot of internet research until I found one written by Katherine Tyrrell, so I have taken her guidelines and paraphrased them below.
Here is a link to her work http://www.pastelsandpencils.com/fine_art.html take note of how she explains her work.
Artist's Statement
An artist's statement explains your work and how you approach it. It is a written statement that can be read by people viewing your work when you cannot be present at a gallery or wherever your work is on show (even on your blog/web site). This is also important if you sell your work online or just want people who visit your blog/web site to understand your work. What are the important aspects:
1. Be authentic by being yourself, say what you mean and not what you think people want to hear. People want to know your work and who you are.
2. Keep it simple, use words people can understand, be concise and keep sentences short.
3.Use spell and grammar check.
4.Write it for the people you want to buy your work.
5. Write in the first person, think it as if you were talking to a person in reality.
6. Highlight the need to know facts - "who what when and why" Learn to say "I paint digitally". Identify what you produce (eg. fantasy, abstract, surreal paintings using digital techniques etc). Identify what your art is made of (photographs, textures etc.). Identify when you made your work. How long you have been working in your current media and what influences your work.
Explain your reason for your subject matter. For example "I am fascinated by colour, form and texture of ...."
7. Most importantly revise and review you statement as it will change over time.
Here is my draft of the statement I am writing for my entry:
Artist Statement
I am fascinated by how photographs can be manipulated by software technology into a different art form. My inspiration comes from the landscape surrounding my home town of Berri, my garden, travel photographs and the art world (past and present). I am always challenged by other artists and their techniques. The work on exhibit is influenced by the surreal work of Guiseppe Arcimboldo who extensively used fruit, vegetables and other objects in his paintings to resemble human portraits.
I prefer to create my backgrounds by using a software program that allows you "paint" digitally. I also prefer to use my own photography, but will purchase images with the appropriate license from photography agencies.
I created the background to "Miranda" by digitally painting it and then modifying this painting with filters. The fruit and vegetables in her hair were photographed from weekly purchases from the supermarket. The technique I used was influenced by the Impressionist painting concept of small dots of colour. I created a square brush and eliminated parts of the model to bring the background, fruit and vegetables to the forefront. This idea came from a tutorial in a popular Digital Photoshop magazine.
"Miranda" is one in a series I have created this year. The first in the series was created using a male model and seafood.
Miranda
