The Rebellious Curator

A quote by Kurt Schwitters: "I'm a painter and I nail my pictures. I'd like to be accepted into the Dada Club." This was a quote from his letter to Hans Richter c. 1916. No artist statement needed.

What is an artist statement? It is a written description of the artists work, it may even be considered a defense of their concept for the work, or their intention. 

Writing an artist statement is a relatively new phenomenon which began in the early 1990's and most artists prior to this time did not write them. I attended art school at UN-L from 1989 to 1993, and I can safely say that art students were not taught how to write artist statements, nor were we required to produce them for our work. I was an Art History Major, so I completed internships/work studies at several museums. There, I encountered original works by well-known abstract artists like Rothko and Frankenthaler who did not have statements for their work. We were expected to view their work and respond to them based on what we knew about the artist's history.

So why are artist statements now encouraged in art schools? 

Today, they are used to obtain grants, apply for residencies and art schools, and for submitting to galleries and shows. But does an artist have to prove that they fully understand their intention, or reveal the meaning of their work? 

I contend that people come out of art schools today, mostly knowing how to write about their work the same way as everyone else. That is not creative individuality, that's conformity. 

A little mystery goes a long way. Try not to make your every thought known to the world. Let your artwork do the talking and put your time and effort into the craft.

Let's face it, most people have little interest in reading a two page polemic consisting of hubris fluff and flashy artspeak. A title, and a brief description if necessary, is all that is needed.

I'm curious to know your thoughts, and I welcome dialogue. Please email jones07@telus.net if you have something to say about it.