Every artist has their own distinct character. A unique identity which makes them stand-out. From their style of making their art, to their distinct way of conveying deep messages. These factors make them more interesting to the eyes of their viewers.
As an artist, being creative is not the only thing you should have. You need to be equipped with the right weapon to share your talent to the whole world. You must know how to influence people with your art style. And what is one effective way to do that? Having your own artist statement.
But, what is an artist statement?
What is an artist statement
An artist statement can be put in simple words as, “your own story”. It is a brief storytelling on how you end up loving arts. Artist statements can contain your reason as to why you do what you are doing, and even how you create what you have made in the field of arts. Your artist statement is simply a collection of your beliefs, motivations, perspectives and creative methods in making art. In some cases, it can also include your personal choice of materials and developed techniques/hacks in executing your skills.
Why you should write an artist statement
There are tons of reasons why you should start writing an artist statement examples. Curious? No worries because Strikingly already personally collected all these artist statements “KNOW-HOWs” for you.
Gives immunity. Having your own artist statement gives you an immunity. How? Artist statements have the power to win over your competitors in the art industry. It gives you an advantage in securing an instant spot in a different well-known artist community, like a VIP. Writing your own artist statement makes you more capable of gathering a solid foundation of followers/customers.
Secure promotion. An artist statement also plays an important role in giving you higher chances of being hired/promoted. There are a number of companies who seek to see an applicant’s artist statement rather than relying on their portfolio alone. By simply looking on an artist statement, companies can easily know if they are worthy of being hired.
Gather audience. Reaching a wider audience is more possible through including an artist statement on your art website. Potential customers often directly look and read the achievements of their candidate before deciding on whether or not to continue working with them. Putting a strong, well-written artist statement on your website/portfolio, opens more opportunities to you not just as a service provider, but also as an artist.
How should I write my artist statement?
You should be wondering now on the right ways of how to make an artist statement. Well, you should go get your pen and a piece of paper, and take note of this next part. To make things more interesting for you, Strikingly listed these proven tips and tricks on how you should start your first step in writing an artist statement example.
- Brainstorm
You cannot just start writing your artist statement immediately. First, equip yourself first with the correct information. Get your notes and start writing anything which comes to your mind when you hear an “artist statement”. What should you put? How would you like your story to be told quickly yet memorable towards your audience? Doing this step will help you think of how you would start creating your artist statement draft and layout. You can even list ideas of how you would want it to look like and what design layout would perfectly fit your written artist statement.
When it comes to choosing the best design layout for a masterpiece like yours, Strikingly has a one-of-a-kind template/themes collection waiting for you. Getting curious now? Here’s more.
- Ask yourself
After brainstorming, start asking yourself. Why arts? When did you start developing that special feeling towards it? Who inspires you to continue pursuing it? What art method/style does your heart want? Who do you want to influence with your works? How do you conceptualize? Why are you different from the others? Asking yourself with these questions is not being crazy. Rather, it is one tactic to help you finalize the details you will be including in your artist statement.
- Create outline
Having your listed ideas, you can now start creating the actual structure of your artist statement. Decide on the flow of information you will be including. Create an artist statement outline that is easy to understand yet highly influential.
Strikingly ProTip: To make your artist statement effective and more interesting, include the materials/medium you often use in making your art. You can also share your methods and techniques you learned to capture the interest of your potential customer/client.
- “Story-tell”
As much as possible, make your artist statement more like you are talking to your client in an actual conversation, face to face. Write your artist statement in the “active” tone of voice to make it sound and look more interesting and lively. This increases their curiosity and prevents boredom as they read your artist statement.
Want to know more ways on how to spice up your artist statement? Strikingly got a lot of that! Click here and start finding the right recipe for that perfect artist statement you’ve been wishing.
- Proofread
No one is perfect and so do you. Grammatical errors and misspellings can’t be helped. Once you finish your artist statement draft, don’t hesitate to proofread it for a couple of times. This step is badly needed not just to achieve that “clean” outcome, at the same time avoid misconceptions. Proofreading your artist statement will make it easier for your potential clients/customers to understand the message you are trying to tell them.
- Write extras
Create multiple drafts with different forms if possible. Who doesn’t love having options right? Having an extra outline of your artist statement will save you a life. Writing extra drafts does not mean changing everything in your finished outline. Rather, it is making an outline which can be adjusted depending on the requirements of the application you will be using. It can be either a lengthened or shortened version emphasizing different aspects/areas of your specialization. After all, there’s nothing bad with being ready just in case you lost your original outline right?
- Keep it simple
Simplicity is always on top. Keeping things simple, yet clear is way better than having a lengthy and boring one. Be straight-forward, yet fun and interesting.
Wanting for more? Learn additional hacks on how you could be more interesting and fun in this field with Strikingly. You are just one click away from a 100% guaranteed awesomeness!
Best artist statement examples to be inspired
You might be enjoying this topic to come a long way here. Then, let’s make it more exciting with these artist statement examples collected by Strikingly for you.
- Artist Georgia O’Keefe’s artist statement about her motivation on painting one of her masterpieces, Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 (1932):
“When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it’s your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else… Nobody really sees a flower – really – it is so small – we haven’t time – and to see takes time… So I said to myself – I’ll paint what I see – what the flower is to me but I’ll paint it big and they will be surprised into taking time to look at it.”
– Georgia O’Keeffe
- Up next, an artist statement from one of the greatest painter of Italian Renaissance, Michelangelo:
“The pre-homoeroticized body forms both my field of action and the basis of my conceptual taxonomy. My sculptures explore both the flux of transfixable signifiers and their complimentary anecdotal formations. My choice of Carrara marble as a medium creates a dialectic between proto-Classical conceptions of idealized form and later Humanistic naturalism. Each figure’s physical struggle is simultaneously inoperative and adjectival.”
– Michelangelo Buonarroti
- Henri Matisse, another master in the field of arts, wrote an artist statement about his masterpiece, “Harmony in Red (1908)”:
“I don’t paint things; I paint only the differences between things… I do not literally paint that table, but the emotion it produces upon me. What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter – a soothing, calming influence on the mind, rather like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue.”
– Henri Matisse
Such fantastic artist statement examples right? Well if you want to have one and know more on how to write an artist’s statement, Strikingly can get it all covered for you.
Why write an artist’s statement with Strikingly?
Creating an artist statement requires both creativity and effectiveness. You must be creative in your own way of formulating the most unique designs/ and layout for your artist statement to be noticed. At the same time, effectiveness should come along with creativity to ensure that will fit your audience’s standards. For you to do that, teaming up with Strikingly is the best option.
Strikingly can offer you more. It wouldn’t be named “one of the best” for nothing right?
If you just became more curious, chat with us and let’s work things out together!
