Lesson video

Hello, and welcome to today's lesson.

My name is Ms. Holland, and I'm gonna be teaching you today.

So, shall we get started? Let's see what we're gonna be learning about.

So our lesson title for today is "Writing an artist statement." And this is part of our unit "Curating an exhibition." By the end of today's lesson, you will have created an artist statement that communicates your ideas, materials, and intentions.

So your outcomes may look something similar to this.

So this pupil has said, "My work explores different weaving techniques and how patterns and textures can create rhythm and movement.

The two woven pieces experiment with color, tension, and layering to show how materials interact, while the drawing maps out my plan and ideas for these techniques.

I wanted to understand how different methods can change the look and feel of the fabric to share the process behind creating these textures." So, on the way to meeting that outcome today, our keywords are artist statement and intention.

An artist statement is a place in which an artist explains their work, ideas, and methods.

And an intention is what the artist wants to explore, show, or communicate.

And of course, we'll be exploring these keywords in far greater detail as we move through the lesson today.

Our lesson has two parts.

The first part is about understanding artist statements, and the second is about creating our own.

So let's get started with understanding artist statements.

So, first of all, I'm going to read you this letter, "Dear Patron, I will paint the chapel murals following the life of the saints, highlighting their virtues so the congregation, the people who visit that chapel, may be inspired.

I will use the brightest pigments and arrange each scene according to your instructions.

Please let me know if you wish to include any additional symbols before I begin.

Respectfully, Brother Thomas." What is the artist trying to communicate in this letter? So what is Brother Thomas trying to communicate? And how would it help the patron understand the artwork that the artist is wanting to create? Have a think about that.

Well, artist statements have a very long history, though they were not always formal written pieces.

So in earlier periods of Western art, many artworks were commissioned, such as this artwork, Brother Thomas's.

And this includes religious paintings or royal portraits.

And the meaning or intention of the work was often communicated privately through letters or instructions from patrons rather than written by the artist for a public audience.

So that's what's happened here.

There is a communication, a private communication between the artist, Brother Thomas, and the patron, rather than a written statement that is for the public.

A check for understanding.

True or false? In earlier periods of Western art, the meaning or intention of the work was often communicated privately through letters or instructions from patrons.

True or false? Well done, it is true, of course, like the letter we just saw.

In different places and times, explanation or intention might also be embedded in cultural rituals, symbolisms, or oral storytelling rather than just explicitly written or explicitly shared.

In some community-based art traditions, the emphasis may be on shared stories, rituals, or cultural heritage rather than sharing an individual intention.

So rather than just my intention, my personal intention, it might be about having a shared intention.

Eastern art forms, such as Japanese ink painting or Chinese calligraphy, often embed meaning in the process and techniques themselves, with less reliance on actual written statements.

Check for understanding.

Which of the following is true? A, all artists make artist statements.

B, some artists make artist statements.

C, famous artists must make artist statements.

And D, all artists write artist statements.

Which of those is true? Well done, yes, some artists choose to make artist statements.

In some places during the 20th and 21st centuries, the artist statement became a part of exhibitions, part of portfolios and applications for grants or for shows.

Artist statements provide a way for artists to firstly communicate their ideas, explain their methods, and give viewers the context for works that might otherwise seem difficult to interpret or maybe overlooked.

In Sarah Graham's artist statement, she explains her use of vivid color and nostalgic still life in hyper-realistic painting aim to evoke joy and wonder, reminiscent of her childhood memories.

So she states, "My work is a vivid exploration of still life, using subjects that allow me to satisfy my obsession with color and within them somehow communicate that elusive sense of sheer joy.

The process is very visceral; I paint subjects that evoke memories of a childhood as I want to create feelings of nostalgia." That's a very powerful statement, isn't it? Artist statements can also reveal an artist's journey.

In Henry Fraser's statement, he explains how a freak accident shaped his creative path after he became paralyzed from the neck down.

He says, "It was July 18th, 2009, when everything in my life changed.

It was a glorious day.

Blue sky, sunshine, friends all surrounded me on that golden beach.

I ran into the sea thinking it was a good depth to dive forward.

Turns out the seabed kicked up slightly right in front of me.

I collided headfirst and momentarily blacked out.

I opened my eyes expecting to stand up, walk out the sea, and join my friends.

I opened my eyes floating in the sea, completely unable to move.

It's amazing to think that that one little thing, one brief moment, can change everything." Beyond historical and cultural differences, artist statements can serve an important purpose.

They help audiences engage more deeply with art.

They provide context for works and allow artists to express social, political, or personal concerns.

The description for Simone Alexander's practice explains her self-portraiture engages with patriarchy while continuing the legacy of other Black women artists.

And this is from Diaspora Artists.

"Time and time again, like other Black women artists before and alongside her, Alexander embraced the vehicle of the self-portrait as a means of expressing herself and her ideas.

In some ways, she did not merely or simply embrace the self-portrait.

She emphatically transformed it into something wholly shorn or void of introspection.

Alexander's self-portraits were dramatic and arresting vehicles for critiquing such things as the male gaze, the objectification of women, and the vacuousness of the world of fashion and perfumery." That brings us on to our first task.

And we've seen some really good statements here, really rich artist statements.

And I would like you now to find one example of an artist's statement or of an artist or artist sharing their work.

And I'd like you to note down how it communicates their ideas, process, or intention, or all three.

So thinking about how does the artist, or artists, communicate their intention? And what role does culture or tradition play in how the work is explained? Pause the video.

Well done.

So let's look at what Alex has said.

So Alex has said, "Instead of explicitly explaining his work in traditional artist statements, Brian Jungen from Dane-zaa, Canada, communicates his ideas through the objects he creates.

For instance, in his "Prototypes for New Understanding" series, he transforms Nike Air Jordan sneakers into sculptures resembling Indigenous masks.

Through his visual language, he critiques consumerism, cultural appropriation, and identity, allowing the artwork itself to convey meaning and intention without needing extensive written explanation." So Alex has written a really good reflection here.

He's given us the factual information of the artist and what he does.

He's given an example of how he does this, and then he's delved that little bit deeper.

Moving on to our second section, and now we're gonna start creating an artist statement.

So this painting is called "Play," and it's in acrylic and collage by Lila Moon.

How might knowing the artist's ideas, process, or intention change the way you understand or feel about this artwork? How might it change? Would it change? So, let's hear about this artwork from Lila Moon, "My work explores the idea of play in everyday life.

I use collage, paint, and digital techniques to create layered, dream-like environments that invite the viewer to pause, imagine, and discover small moments of joy.

I explore how textures, colors, and movement can overlap and interact.

Each piece is a reflection of curiosity, experimentation, and the playful energy that surrounds us, even in unexpected places." Has that influenced or changed the way that you first saw that image, that painting? I wonder if it has.

It has for me, certainly.

Check for understanding.

True or false? Lila Moon's artist statement explains both the ideas behind her work and then the materials and techniques of what she uses to create it.

True or false? Well done, it is indeed true.

And why? Well, the statement clearly describes the idea of play and curiosity, but then also really discusses the techniques she uses, collage, paint, digital, and how textures and the colors and movement are used.

Creating an artist statement helps you reflect on your work and share your ideas with others.

It is not and shouldn't be just a piece of writing.

It should be a way to communicate your thought process, choices, and intentions.

So for a portfolio or NEA submission, you could explain how your main ideas connect across several works, through writing, visuals, bullet points, or a short oral presentation, so a spoken presentation.

And artist statements might convey the ideas or the themes.

So what is the main idea or theme or story behind your work or works? And what inspired you to create these pieces? It might convey the process and the materials, like we just saw.

So what materials, techniques, or methods did you use? And how did your process help develop your ideas? So really reflect on how using those methods or techniques allowed you to develop your ideas.

The intention or the message.

So what do you want your viewers to notice or feel? What is important to you? And why did you choose these ideas or techniques? And then lastly, a connection across the pieces.

So how do these works relate to each other? What links them in terms of style, in terms of theme, in terms of concept? So your artist statement might convey these four things: ideas, processes and materials, intention, and connection.

Check for understanding.

How can knowing an artist's ideas, process, or intention affect the way you understand an artwork? Is it A, it forces you to like the artwork more than you did before.

B, it doesn't matter; the artwork means the same to everyone.

C, it can change your interpretation and help you notice details you may have missed.

D, it only matters if the artwork is very old.

Let's have a look.

Yes, well done, it can change your interpretation and help you notice details you may have missed.

Moving on to our last task, and I'd like you to create your very own artist statement.

This needs to explain your ideas, processes, and intention for a few connected pieces of your artwork.

So think back to all those lovely, rich examples we've looked at.

Feel free to go back over the video and revisit them and magpie some of that beautiful language and really, really think deeply about what you want to convey.

Pause the video.

Well done, I wish could read and see all of your artist statements, but let's see what our pupils said.

So, this is one of the outcomes that may have happened.

So, this pupil said alongside these three pieces of interconnected artworks, "My work explores different weaving techniques and how patterns and textures can create rhythm and movement.

The two woven pieces experiment with color, tension, and layering to show how materials interact, while the drawing maps out my plan and ideas for those techniques.

I wanted to understand how different methods change the look and feel of the fabric and to share the process behind creating these textures." I wonder what your artist statement said.

Perhaps if you're in school, you could share artist statements and compare.

Well, thank you so much for joining me today for this lesson, "Writing an artist statement." We've seen that traditionally, an artist statement is a piece of writing where artists explain their work, methods, and intentions.

But across history and across cultures, artists explain their work in very, very different ways.

The statement is part of how art is experienced, and it helps the audience engage more deeply within the art and understand it more deeply.

And while traditionally written, it can also take other forms. Thank you again, and I hope to see you very soon.