“[A]n artist statement is what, how, and why you do what you do, from your perspective.
This means that an artist statement is personal, as personal as your art. It is also honest,
in the very same way that your art reflects a true expression of your being. Because an
artist statement speaks to the relationship between you and your work, it needs to be as
authentic as your work. When done well, the statement and your art support each other.
The secret lies in how an artist statement builds another bridge between the artist and
the audience. An effective statement creates a personal connection to the artwork and
stimulates our human thirst for "story". This, in turn, triggers longer memory storage
about the artist by immersing the viewer in two languages: visual and linguistic.”
“Writing an artist statement gives you another way to reflect on your work.”
From: http://www.artist-statement.com/whatisanartstate.html
Steps and guidelines for writing an artist statement:
http://www.mollygordon.com/resources/marketingresources/artstatemt/
WATERFALLS by John Pfahl
Waterfalls in the United States tend to fall into one of two categories. They are either great sources of
industrial power or conveyors of aesthetic power and beauty. Most of the waterfalls in the eastern half of
the country have been heavily used and abused by humankind. Paper mills, electric plants, and other signs
of industrialization frequently have co-opted these views.
Waterfalls in the West are far less common and tend to be protected in national or state parks. Many are
spectacular tourist destinations and some, such as Yosemite Falls and the Great Falls of the Yellowstone
have joined Niagara Falls in becoming national icons.
Waterfalls photographed close-up and isolated all look very much the same. I chose a panoramic format
and wide-angle lenses to provide context and to complicate the meaning and formal qualities of the
images. <waterfalls images>
PILES by John Pfahl
Ansel Adams had his beloved Sierras. I seek out the more elusive mountains on the lake
plain near my home in Buffalo, New York. I try to imbue these piles of raw and recycled
materials, through judicious use of light, atmosphere and scale, with the majesty of
mountains I recall from summers in the Rockies and the Alps.
http://johnpfahl.com/pages/extras/ArtStatement.html
Student statements:
Words are cumbersome; their stubborn refusal to move the way I want them to frustrates me. By the time
any of my feelings are on paper or are spoken, they have lost their momentum, richness and excitement.
My concentration is an attempt to bypass these heavy, unmovable words by visually portraying feelings,
instead of explaining them. My non-objective photography explores a progression from excitement to
dread using color, repetition and space to portray a true experience of these emotions.
I wanted to explore the visual spaces in the urban setting of Philadelphia. I've always
loved being in the city and I found it was the most exciting place to take photos, with
varying and often fleeting images everywhere. When I'm in the city I feel excited but
calm, surrounded and isolated, big and small, all at the same time. I wanted to convey
some of these feelings, if not all at once, through my photos.
I want to portray how dreams can provide an unconscious form of self-exploration. As
dreams progress, your mind introduces unusual, illogical, and often impossible elements
in order to seek out something meaningful. Most of the time, dreams that provide
meaning confound us with their non-cohesiveness while illuminating new concepts.
Additional Websites with more information and tips:
http://www.nitaleland.com/articles/statement.htm
http://www.artstudy.org/art-and-design-careers/artist-statement.php