The journal
What not to write in an artist statement
Replace hype, irrelevant career lists and vague claims with a clear account of the work. Follow the destination’s brief without treating one format as a rule for every artist.
Skip career timelines, hype, and jargon. An artist statement should introduce your practice and help people interpret your work, not read like a CV or a manifesto. Keep it focused, accurate, and concise, then adapt it for context (Artquest: Artist statement).
Things to leave out
- Career, exhibition, or work history. These belong in your bio or artist CV, not the statement (Artquest: Artist statement; Artquest Primer (PDF)).
- Grand claims and superlatives. Use objective language and let the work, not self-praise, do the convincing (Artquest: Artist statement).
- Unnecessary jargon or dense theory. Use plain English and briefly explain specialist concepts only when needed (Artquest: Artist statement).
- Philosophical debates about “the nature of art.” The statement is for your practice and the work at hand, not a treatise (Artquest: Artist statement).
- Inaccurate or inflated descriptions. Don’t dress the work up to seem more complex than it is; say what it actually does and shows (Artquest: Artist statement).
- Autobiographical life story. A biography talks about your life; the statement talks about the work and thinking behind it (Artquest Primer (PDF)).
- An unrelated poem, manifesto or string of adjectives in place of the requested explanation. If poetry is part of the work, explain that practice clearly; this is not a rule excluding poetic art or every experimental statement (ArtPlacer: Artist statement tips).
- Overlength text. Have a core statement around 100-200 words you can expand or trim for context (Artquest: Artist statement).
What to write instead
Keep your statement tightly on the work: media and processes you use, why they matter for your ideas, themes or concerns you explore, and key decisions that shaped the outcome. Refer to physical qualities where it helps people interpret the concepts (Artquest: Artist statement).
- Focus on your practice as a whole and the common motivations that run through it (Artquest: Artist statement).
- Use clear, plain sentences and define specialist terms briefly only if essential (Artquest: Artist statement).
- Keep it accurate and objective; if others have written about your work, a short quote can add context (Artquest: Artist statement).
- Revisit and update it periodically as your practice evolves (Artquest: Artist statement).
Length and format
Maintain a basic statement of about 100-200 words, then adapt it for applications, websites, or press needs. Keep a short, spoken version you can deliver in under two minutes for openings and meetings (Artquest: Artist statement; Artquest Primer (PDF)).
Quick cleanup checklist for your artist statement
FAQs
Can I list grants, prizes, or residencies in my statement?
Put them in your bio or artist CV instead. The statement should talk about the work and thinking; the bio/CV covers your career milestones (Artquest: Artist statement; Artquest Primer (PDF)).
First or third person?
Match the context. Some published guides recommend third person for particular materials; follow the actual venue’s instructions, and you can draft in first person then convert as needed (Artquest: Artist statement; Making Your Life as an Artist (PDF)).
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