Product Description

As an artist, do you know how to present your work with clarity, confidence and professional credibility? Writing the Artist Statement: Revealing the True Spirit of Your Work guides artists, of all genres, on how to smoke out the relevant ideas they already possess about their art. Because the good news is, in spite of self-conscious objections about writing, artists can recover their own words. Using clear and accessible language, Writing the Artist Statement invites you to build a psychological bridge between ART AND AUDIENCE by tapping into the exact words that will portray the singular spirit of your work.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #156621 in Books
• Published on: 2002-03-29
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 143 pages

About the Author
Ariane Goodwin, Ed.D. holds a doctorate in Human Development & Creative Behavior from the University of Massachusetts. As a writing consultant, she specializes in working with artists. Her writing has appeared in fine art, ceramic, sculpture and surface design publications in the USA & Canada. She has directed art programs for an urban recreation center; led drama, movement and writing workshops for children and adolescents, and teaches at the Loveland Academy of Fine Arts. As a writer and entrepreneur, who grew up in a family of artists, Dr. Goodwin understands and integrates these three, different sensibilities into a working whole.

Customer Reviews

THE WORST BOOK PURCHASE I EVER MADE
This book is TRASH, a WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY. I was SHOCKED by how rediculous and poorly written this book is. It offered NO help or insight whatsoever. Whole pages are left with a single rhetorical sentance. Not worth the paper its written on.

It's a Keeper!!
Author, Ariane Goodwin, makes a case for why it is so important to have an artist's statement. She helps the artist accomplish this with some diverse introspective exercises.

The formatting style of the book is appealing to artists who want to get to heart of the matter. The text is pleasant to read and not overwhelming.

I can count on one hand the times an art class professor didn't talk about learning to write and talk about the work. For as you seek employment or entry into a gallery, a dialogue usually takes place about what informs your art if you wish to be viewed as a professional.

Small details are not overlooked either, such as how long an artist statement should be. Writing an artists statement doesn't mean you're telling the viewer how to feel. An artist's statement's purpose is for "revealing the true spirit of your work". It means that by defining the what, why, & how you produce art, there is a discovery process that takes place for the artist.

The authors writing style is very sincere and descriptive and she has a clear knowledge of what makes the artist tick. She addresses the fear of writing, the basis of that fear, and how to use it to your advantage. Not only is she an author and doctor, but the daughter of an artist. It doesn't get any better than that. Writing the Artists Statement is as an excellent reference book.

Insipid and Lousy
Beyond the first few pages (after the table of contents) the book takes a drastic spiral down into some awkward realm of writing akin to the Western mythology of Zen and centering your chi. There are numerous instances of pages containing one sentence, signifying some graphic designer was having happy time with Swiss design. Furthermore, the content on those blank pages is not strong enough to support the white space.

What the Author sorely overlooks is that the goal of a good artist statement is in the content - describing some of the why and the what - and distilling it into its essence through brevity. A good artist statement is not about breathing exercises and finding a quiet place wherein to perform the act of writing an artist statement (which a sizable chunk of the latter half of the book seems to dwell on).

For those considering purchasing the book, your time, money, and energy are better spent trying to pound a nail in the floor with your forehead.