As lockdown restrictions begin to relax in England, we are seeing the planned re-openings of galleries, studios and workshops. While the arts have struggled enormously throughout the pandemic - from cuts in funding, to cancelled exhibitions, out of stock supplies, and postponed residencies - the glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel seems to be nearing, and we can start to look forward to how our artistic practices might begin to look as we embark on the new normal.
Especially as we move through the summer, galleries and collectives will be keen to come back with a bang, as well as the new pool of graduates and emerging artists who will be eager to start working and exhibiting following the conclusion of their studies. As such, it's a great time to start working on applications for residencies, open calls, competitions and studio spaces, however this can be daunting, as many artists really struggle to write about their work, and find it cringe-inducing to verbalise the critical concepts of their practice.
While lockdown has been a pretty disheartening and slow time for many artists, particularly those who have been unable to access their studios, models for work, or supplies and materials intrinsic to their practice, it has allowed some to take a step back and really consider their work in a fresh perspective.
Just as Sola Olulode states in her interview with The Other Art Girl (www.theotherartgirl.com):
“when you’re working towards an exhibition and you’ve got deadlines, that can stifle the creative process. [It’s okay] if it’s just me wanting to make whatever for myself… but once you introduce the work side of it and you have expectations on you, that can subdue the creative process and take the fun out of it.”
As such, it’s interesting to see the ways in which creatives practices and processes have developed with the removal of upcoming exhibitions and fairs (aside from those moving online). I, like many artists have found myself moving back to the fun and creative side of my work, without feeling the pressure of an upcoming deadline, just as Sola speak of. Other artists however, have taken this time as a much needed break, or chosen to jump on the more administrative side of creation; stretching canvases, cleaning floors and throwing out the hundreds of dried out or empty paint tubes we hoard for no reason (no judgement here)! Similarly, we have seen some incredible new collectives, projects and companies born from the confines of bedrooms, home offices, gardens and kitchen tables, showing the resilience of the creative industries to truly find the silver linings amongst the chaos.
Since finally having the time to set up the dedicated studio space I had been planning - now without having to also live in it and climb over canvases every morning! - I have been eagerly planning some new and ambitious works, continuing to develop my practice in new mediums and writing/recording some artist statements ready to apply for upcoming opportunities. If you know me well, you will know I love writing - I mean, hello! I write this blog every month completely out of my own desire! - but when asked to describe my practice and explain how my work has developed, the ink in my proverbial pen runs dry. It always feels awkward, clunky and a little bit narcissistic to write about your own art, but it is such an important part of being able to sell yourself as an artist, literally and figuratively.
So, for this months blog, I decided to share some ways in which you can make writing artist statement, biographies and applications a little less excruciating. I also wanted to share a few recent snippets from some of my new artist statements, as a form of re-introduction for those who are new to this blog, or to my work in general!
A great way to start any piece of written work is to begin with a simple list of words that relate to your practice. This could be a literal description of your medium; oil paint, found materials, charcoal, fabric, anything pink, etc. or could focus more on the themes, feelings and discussions you want your work to emulate; nature, the figure, identity, race, hope, femininity, bright colour, illusion, light, shapes, perspective etc. For me, this is a very simple statement that I am a figurative painter, interested in notions of gaze, objectification, and exploring the contemporary nude. But this description has, and continues to develop as my work evolves and changes!
Another interesting way to approach describing your work is the think about ‘your why’. This may sound like a problematic and confusing instruction, but I simply mean to think about the reasoning behind your art, why do you make it, why is interesting to you, do you have other artists who inspired you? These questions and their answers will – hopefully – help you to pinpoint what is interesting about your work and why you pursue it. It’s not enough to simply say you like painting trees. Tell me why, make me fascinated by what fascinates you! The opening paragraph from my most recent artist statement does exactly this:
“I have always been drawn to works of art that depict or discuss people. My journey into figurative painting began, like many, with portrait painting. I was fascinated with the idea of being able to represent an individual personality or feeling through paint, using expressive colours, brushstrokes and unusual compositions to emulate the character of the subject. During my BA studies, I began to consider the variations of portraiture, and how a people and figures could be painted without simply focusing on their face, or the parts of them that were visually recognisable. It was during this experimental time that I moved away from more traditional portrait painting, and explored more figurative work.”
Once you have a good solid base for ‘your why’ you can work on some easier info that should be less mentally and emotionally taxing: Recent projects. A great way to give prospective employers, collaborators or organisations and idea of your work and how you exhibit your art, is to share some recent projects, exhibitions, fairs, workshops, shows, festivals or collections you have been part of. I find it best to list chronologically and share your more recent projects, but feel free to discuss older shows if you feel they are really relevant! Not only does this show that you are actively sharing your work and promoting your practice, but it also adds another level to the profile of your art, where the reader can view your profile on a gallery or organisations website and social media. Don’t overdo it though, unless specifically requested, aim to list 3-5 shows as you don’t want to eat into your word count.
It is really important to talk about your current work, if this has developed drastically recently then discuss how and why; I find it really good to talk about my process, as it is such an intrinsic part of my practice, again this can be a technical description of materials and creative steps, or a more conceptual address of your process and ideas:
“Process has always been a vital part of my practice, with the photographic crop and stylisation of a source image allowing me to explore a reframing of the figurative image. Particularly when working with the pornographic or ‘explicit’ nude, I have found it interesting to explore collage, more expressive painting styles and even three-dimensional sculpting and sketching to examine these subjects. One medium that I have found a beautiful and particularly intriguing way of exploring the pornographic nude, is embroidery and weaving. During ‘lockdown’ I have been using reclaimed paper and pages of Playboymagazines to create smaller embroidery portraits of the models. By removing any ‘scenery’ or external information in the initial images, the resulting works – while evidently nude, and sometimes ‘explicit’ – become aesthetically striking portraits of the subjects, with the threaded medium reflecting a labour of love and time in creating them, creating a disparity between their initially intended fleeting and purely aesthetic purpose.”
As you can see, I am also talking about the work that I am currently making. Especially given the global impact of the pandemic, it feels appropriate to mention the way this has effected my work, however if your practice has not changed because of this, or you have had to halt work because of the lockdown restrictions, there’s no obligation to mention it, maybe make reference to a book you’ve read recently that has really made you consider a new element of your practice, or just discuss how you think your art could develop soon. It’s good to show growing space and progression – no one is ever a finished product!
Ultimately, there is no right or wrong way to talk about your work. The most important thing to remember is that you know it best, no one can tell you that your reflections and ideas behind your process are wrong, because they’re yours. You are literally the world’s number one expert on your own art, so have the confidence to write like you are. It can also be helpful to read other artists statements, or write a short statement about your favourite artist using their works and their own descriptions as research, that way, you’ll get used to the writing process without the pressure of picking apart your own work.
At the end of the day, the global situation has effected us all in various ways, if/when you are ready to return to your art, ready to apply for residencies, reach out to galleries, or start that project you’ve been planning for ages, just remember to write honestly and be the expert on your work that you already are. Hopefully these little tips and snippets are of some help! The very best of luck, always.