How to Write an Artist Statement

"Desert Sky", Oil On Panel, 8.5x18 inches

Jerry Lebo, 1996

Here is a golden oldie. The above painting was the one I put on the announcement for my first solo show back in 1996. I put it up to remind myself how far I have come--and how far I can still go. My friend Mitchell once told me to save everything, one day it will be useful and remind you of how far you have come. He was right.

So, I have decided to work on my website this week--which has turned out to be a lot more work than I expected. It is a real challenge deciding what to put on it. Which paintings, how to organize it, etc.

One of the things I wanted to add to my web-site was an "Artist Statement". I don't know why, there is no requirement that an artist have a statement, but I thought it might be a way to convey to people why I paint. And, I might need one for my next upcoming solo show (ha, ha).

Of course, as soon as I wanted to post my artist statement on-line is when I realized that I had never really written an artist statement. Sure, I've rattled off a few lines for my previous art shows. But, I never really gave it much thought. I just wanted to get it done. I didn't want to do the same this time, so I decided this time to really try to write an artist statement. That is when I found out that it is not as easy as it sounds. Especially for the literary impaired like myself. So, I thought I would let you know what I learned and how you might go about it, if you ever get the inkling. I also posted the artist statement that I came up with at the bottom.

Lesson One: Be Brief

An artist statement does not have to be long. In fact, the shorter the better. Three paragraphs of 3-4 lines is plenty. If needed, you can start with a long version of your artist statement and edit it down later--but the final version should be able to be read in around one minute (or less).

Lesson Two: Be Honest

The last thing people want to read is art speak, a lot of blah, blah, or things that you think they want to hear. If you artist statement is going to work--it must be honest about where you are at, why you do what you do, and what your art is about. Keep it simple and straight-forward. In structuring what you are saying, move from the general to the more specific. For example, start with a general statement of why you paint, and then tell the reader more about how you do it later. If you want to be specific about what you are working on at the moment, it is probably best to leave that to last.

Lesson Three: Take your time

Working on your artist statement is going to be harder than actually making art. Be prepared to spend some time. I found it useful to jot down a lot of short notes about what I wanted to say throughout the day--and then try to organize them later. Post-it notes are great. Write a line down on them and post them around your studio--you can collect them at then end of the day and summarize them later. Another idea is to imagine you are being interviewed and being asked some basic questions about your work. For example, what is your favorite material or medium, what do you like best about what you do, how work, when--what have you learned lately? Write down your answers and see if you can bring them together into a statement of some sort later.

Lesson Four: Make it Personal

Never speak in the third-person. It turns people off. Use the personal tense in your writing--for example, say, "My", or "I". Do not say "the artist" or speak about yourself in the third person. This is your statement, and people what to hear something personal. In fact, I think the most important trait of an artist statement is that it is honest and comes from your heart.

Lesson Five: Get help, if you need it

I found a lot of useful information on the Internet about how to go about writing an artist statement, and even some examples. There is no set way to write a artist statement, so don't feel you have to follow an example--but I found the ideas contain in some of the examples useful as a guide. Here are some links to get you started:

http://painting.about.com/cs/careerdevelopment/a/statementartist.htm
http://www.artistsfoundation.org/art_pages/resources/resources_arts_statement.htm

http://www.ceramicsmonthly.org/mustreads/artist.asp

http://www.ebsqart.com/ArtMagazine/za_400.htm

Anyway, here is my artist statement as of today:

Artist Statement, Jerry Lebo

The process of transforming paint and other materials into images continues to compel and challenge me. Over the years, that process has led me from drawing, etching, and painting, and most recently to pursue experimental processes on paper. Painting fills me with a sense of well-being and humility, and has proven to be a satisfying way for me to translate my visual ideas into a physical reality.

I paint both what I see and what I feel—focusing on the sensation and context of my experience. I work deliberately, employing both traditional and innovative techniques, while letting the uncertain nature of painting free my hand. My paintings are finished when they are able to convey a moment or sensation of where I am, as well as what I am seeing.

August 2007