As I mentioned in my earlier post, I'm uncomfortable with writing this dang artist's statement. Funny though, once I finally got started, I couldn't shut up. I hate to impose on anyone, but if some of you guys and gals could read this over and make comments/suggestions I would genuinely appreciate it more than you know. Like a good buddy of mine says, "If you can't impose upon your friends, who can you impose upon?"
Please be BRUTALLY HONEST AND DIRECT with any suggestions and comments. I fear it is WAY TOO LONG, so feel free to edit at will.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!!!!!!!
EDITED PER COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS FROM ALICE, RICHARD, AND ED. - second effort
Artist’s Statement
For me, nature photography started simply as a way to record my journeys and adventures so I could revisit and re- experience them over and over. I am very fortunate to have had a father who was an avid outdoorsman, and who passed down his love and passion for the outdoors to my brothers and me. Gradually over the years, photography has evolved from an afterthought to the primary purpose for my outdoor activities. No longer do I throw a camera in the canoe or backpack to catch a few shots of the trip; now I plan my trips around photography and use my canoes, kayaks, or backpacking equipment as a means to that end. Photographing nature is very relaxing, rewarding and frustrating – weather conditions are ever changing, the light can change from minute to minute, wildlife stubbornly refuses to take their cueing and posing directions very seriously, and thunderstorms don’t care if you’re finished or not before drenching you. But the good part comes with the fact I get to spend many days and nights outdoors, experience incredible sunrises, sunsets, and star-filled nights, paddle the beautiful swamps and streams of Florida, hike the trails of the Appalachian foothills, and trek in the desert country of west Texas.
I shoot what pleases me, in a style that’s comfortable for me. If I can please myself, I’m contented with that. If I can print an image that pleases others as well, so much the better, for that’s very rewarding and gratifying as well. It’s both exciting and intimidating to share my images with others, but fortunately, I’ve experienced much positive feedback and encouragement, including four Editors’ Picks awards from Nature Photographers Network Online Magazine. It’s especially exciting and fulfilling when these picks are coming from fellow nature photographers. I hope you enjoy my photography, and thanks for looking.
Hey Bill, congrats on the art gallery screening! Having seen your work, I can't imagine that they won't want to display it. I love your statement, I think it works very well EXCEPT for the first sentence of the 2nd paragraph. I would delete it completely. Otherwise, it sounds good to me, and I hope to the gallery as well. Good luck!
Posted by Richard Wong on June 28, 2006 at 6:36 PM
That's about as humble and well written as any statement I've seen. I'd remove the first sentence of the second paragraph though. Your statement was very honest and would portray as a likeable person as well.
Bill, I add my congrats for the art gallery screening - this is quite a tribute to your talent.
I strongly agree with Alice about deleting the second paragarph's first sentence. If you are not proud enough of your work to promote your images why should others want to look?
I am not quite sure what others have done in this same venue. However, I thought the concepts you presented were excellent, but a little wordy. Is there any way you could streamline your sentences or delete the less important ones to make the statement more compact?
My experience in managing a few minor political campaigns is that if it is preceeved as too wordy people tune it out and don't read it. A few short, but powerful sentences are more powerful than a long explanation.
Thank you Alice, Richard & Ed. Based on your suggestions, I will definitely delete the 1st sentence of the 2nd paragraph. I totally agree that it's too long as well. I will have to re-read and start editing several more times, paring it down a little each time. Thanks again for taking the time to read it and for giving honest appraisals.
- - Well, I don't usually get on here anymore, but will for this one.
I read and I read, and out of all that you said I only saw three sentences that had anything to do with a statement. I will let you figure out which ones they are.
ALL of the rest of what you wrote was mostly just personal history, which is not a statement.
An artists statement consists of three main things;
WHAT you are trying to achieve, WHY, and HOW you are trying to achieve it.
NOT your family history. NOT what you used to do on vacations. NOT what all of your friends have told you about your images. No matter how interesting many people may find all of that info, it has nothing to do with an artists statement.
Also, as said before, it is TOO LONG and most people will just pass on reading it,
and it is too long because you just have too much irrelevant things in it.
A lot of people may like it, but a lot of people also do not have a clue what an artists statement is.
What you have here is a "BIO" and not an artists statement.
With all of that said, you may even want to think about just having a "bio" and nothing else.
Artists statements are rapidly becoming a thing of the past and used now mostly just by painters.
I know well over a dozen pro photographers such as Tom Till and William Neill, and not one of them now has an artists statement on their web sites, ONLY bios. Many photo galleries now only ask for bios.
Unless you are asked by somebody to supply a statement, just offer a bio and forget it!
To find out how to write a good bio just read a lot of the ones in the PhotoPortfolio section.
Thanks fo the education Paul. Having never done this before I will plead ignorance. When they asked for an Artists Statement, I assumed just that - a statement from me - any statement. I didn't realize there was a particular format that needed to be used. I figured anything from "save the whales" to "impeach the mayor" would suffice. After looking on the gallery website and reading the "Artists' Statements" there, it appears the majority use a Bio style instead of an actual Artists Statement, so I assume my Bio will work just fine. To me, the definition of an Artist Statement sounds more like a Mission Statement, which I think is just a bunch of feel-good crap devised to obscure your true objective anyway.
I don't mind the personal anecdotes and enhoy reading them myself but I do think they may be a bit disproportionate to statements about your photography.
I'm uncomfortable with your last paragraph. You are an artist about to be represented by a large gallery. An artist should be the master of their medium. I don't mean that to be over the top. You sound more like a hobbyist, rather than someone driven and has the skill to capture the beauty they see in the previous paragraph.
What about something like this:
"It's an honor to be able to see such incredible beauty and be able to capture it, and share it with others. My efforts have been rewarded with four Editors’ Picks awards from Nature Photographers Network Online Magazine. I strive to produce images that are pleasing to myself and others. I hope you will agree and enjoy my work."
I can't same I'm 100% sold on it, but it removes the wishy-washyness and says the same thing with a little more confidence that should go with a gallery show.
I'm just now seeing Rob's thoughts and will add that I agree. Marketing is everything, and even if you are a hobbyist, have people believe that you are a full-time professional working hard at his craft. You've got to be the biggest tooter of your own horn....
Thanks everyone. Lots of very good advice, and I really appreciate everyone taking the time to comment and advise. Looks like I've got some research and re-writing to do, but that's why I asked! Thanks again.
Quote;
For me, nature photography started simply as a way to record my journeys and adventures so I could revisit and re- experience them over and over. If I can please myself, I’m contented with that. If I can print an image that pleases others as well, so much the better, for that’s very rewarding and gratifying as well.
-----------------
That is the only part of your whole thing that is an artists statement.
You can leave it at that, or add a couple more sentences to it to make it a little fuller,
and then clean it up to sound more professional, but the best ones are short, clean, and simple.
You are making a "statement." Not a speech.
It's like politicians,
the more you add to them, the worse things get.
Please take this with a grain of salt, and keep in mind I write mostly technical things...
One way you could make the statement flow more smoothly, is to look for sentences with multiple "and's" and "or's". For example the very first sentence has "journeys and adventures so I could revisit and re- experience". I think "journeys so I could revisit" would still effectively communicate your intent, and be easier to read. Later, you have "canoe or backpack to catch a few shots of the trip; now I plan my trips around photography and use my canoes, kayaks, or backpacking ", which is also a fine statement but could be trimmed as well to remove the redundancies.
One thing I find helps me, is to first, write one sentence "The purpose of this statement is to..." Then look at every sentence, one by one, in your statement and see if they support this purpose without adding extra. Think as if you were composing a photograph - if it is in the frame and isn't part of your subject, than it is distracting from it."
With that being said, I think your statement is very nicely written, but I also think you're right to try and trim it. Hopefully this is what you were looking for?
Brett - Thanks for taking the time to help. I love your composition analogy - I never thought of it in those terms but that makes perfect sense. Also, the technique of writing the "purpose" sentence is in that same category. Great commom sense and practical ideas. Thanks again.
Discussion
14 repliesPlease be BRUTALLY HONEST AND DIRECT with any suggestions and comments. I fear it is WAY TOO LONG, so feel free to edit at will.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!!!!!!!
EDITED PER COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS FROM ALICE, RICHARD, AND ED. - second effort
Artist’s Statement
For me, nature photography started simply as a way to record my journeys and adventures so I could revisit and re- experience them over and over. I am very fortunate to have had a father who was an avid outdoorsman, and who passed down his love and passion for the outdoors to my brothers and me. Gradually over the years, photography has evolved from an afterthought to the primary purpose for my outdoor activities. No longer do I throw a camera in the canoe or backpack to catch a few shots of the trip; now I plan my trips around photography and use my canoes, kayaks, or backpacking equipment as a means to that end. Photographing nature is very relaxing, rewarding and frustrating – weather conditions are ever changing, the light can change from minute to minute, wildlife stubbornly refuses to take their cueing and posing directions very seriously, and thunderstorms don’t care if you’re finished or not before drenching you. But the good part comes with the fact I get to spend many days and nights outdoors, experience incredible sunrises, sunsets, and star-filled nights, paddle the beautiful swamps and streams of Florida, hike the trails of the Appalachian foothills, and trek in the desert country of west Texas.
I shoot what pleases me, in a style that’s comfortable for me. If I can please myself, I’m contented with that. If I can print an image that pleases others as well, so much the better, for that’s very rewarding and gratifying as well. It’s both exciting and intimidating to share my images with others, but fortunately, I’ve experienced much positive feedback and encouragement, including four Editors’ Picks awards from Nature Photographers Network Online Magazine. It’s especially exciting and fulfilling when these picks are coming from fellow nature photographers. I hope you enjoy my photography, and thanks for looking.
I strongly agree with Alice about deleting the second paragarph's first sentence. If you are not proud enough of your work to promote your images why should others want to look?
I am not quite sure what others have done in this same venue. However, I thought the concepts you presented were excellent, but a little wordy. Is there any way you could streamline your sentences or delete the less important ones to make the statement more compact?
My experience in managing a few minor political campaigns is that if it is preceeved as too wordy people tune it out and don't read it. A few short, but powerful sentences are more powerful than a long explanation.
Good luck.
I read and I read, and out of all that you said I only saw three sentences that had anything to do with a statement. I will let you figure out which ones they are.
ALL of the rest of what you wrote was mostly just personal history, which is not a statement.
An artists statement consists of three main things;
WHAT you are trying to achieve, WHY, and HOW you are trying to achieve it.
NOT your family history. NOT what you used to do on vacations. NOT what all of your friends have told you about your images. No matter how interesting many people may find all of that info, it has nothing to do with an artists statement.
Also, as said before, it is TOO LONG and most people will just pass on reading it,
and it is too long because you just have too much irrelevant things in it.
A lot of people may like it, but a lot of people also do not have a clue what an artists statement is.
What you have here is a "BIO" and not an artists statement.
With all of that said, you may even want to think about just having a "bio" and nothing else.
Artists statements are rapidly becoming a thing of the past and used now mostly just by painters.
I know well over a dozen pro photographers such as Tom Till and William Neill, and not one of them now has an artists statement on their web sites, ONLY bios. Many photo galleries now only ask for bios.
Unless you are asked by somebody to supply a statement, just offer a bio and forget it!
To find out how to write a good bio just read a lot of the ones in the PhotoPortfolio section.
Paul
Like I say, thanks for the imput and education.
I don't mind the personal anecdotes and enhoy reading them myself but I do think they may be a bit disproportionate to statements about your photography.
Here's some interesting resources I found:
http://www.mollygordon.com/resources/marketingresources/artstatemt/index.html
http://www.artistsfoundation.org/art_pages/resources/resources_arts_statement.htm
http://www.ebsqart.com/ArtMagazine/za_400.htm
Or if you're willing to buy a whole book about it:
http://www.artist-statement.com/artstatehelp.html
Guy
I'm uncomfortable with your last paragraph. You are an artist about to be represented by a large gallery. An artist should be the master of their medium. I don't mean that to be over the top. You sound more like a hobbyist, rather than someone driven and has the skill to capture the beauty they see in the previous paragraph.
What about something like this:
"It's an honor to be able to see such incredible beauty and be able to capture it, and share it with others. My efforts have been rewarded with four Editors’ Picks awards from Nature Photographers Network Online Magazine. I strive to produce images that are pleasing to myself and others. I hope you will agree and enjoy my work."
I can't same I'm 100% sold on it, but it removes the wishy-washyness and says the same thing with a little more confidence that should go with a gallery show.
You might want to take a look at Cay Lang's 'Taking the Leap' book. It is helpful for writing statements and providing other career advice.
For me, nature photography started simply as a way to record my journeys and adventures so I could revisit and re- experience them over and over. If I can please myself, I’m contented with that. If I can print an image that pleases others as well, so much the better, for that’s very rewarding and gratifying as well.
-----------------
That is the only part of your whole thing that is an artists statement.
You can leave it at that, or add a couple more sentences to it to make it a little fuller,
and then clean it up to sound more professional, but the best ones are short, clean, and simple.
You are making a "statement." Not a speech.
It's like politicians,
the more you add to them, the worse things get.
Please take this with a grain of salt, and keep in mind I write mostly technical things...
One way you could make the statement flow more smoothly, is to look for sentences with multiple "and's" and "or's". For example the very first sentence has "journeys and adventures so I could revisit and re- experience". I think "journeys so I could revisit" would still effectively communicate your intent, and be easier to read. Later, you have "canoe or backpack to catch a few shots of the trip; now I plan my trips around photography and use my canoes, kayaks, or backpacking ", which is also a fine statement but could be trimmed as well to remove the redundancies.
One thing I find helps me, is to first, write one sentence "The purpose of this statement is to..." Then look at every sentence, one by one, in your statement and see if they support this purpose without adding extra. Think as if you were composing a photograph - if it is in the frame and isn't part of your subject, than it is distracting from it."
With that being said, I think your statement is very nicely written, but I also think you're right to try and trim it. Hopefully this is what you were looking for?
Best regards,
-Brett