Comments for Pisces Moon Studio

Comment on Does your work need an artist’s statement? by Linda J Peterson

Linda J Peterson — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:43:18 +0000

Fine are never reveals more than a title and medium used. If you like it and it speaks to you, then you devine a personal meaning. It may or may not be what the artist intended, but if it is strong enough it will have a voice that whispers to you and the artist has achieved the primary objective of creating art – making the viewer think and relate.
Linda J Peterson´s last [type] ..Designing Marionettes – Weight

Comment on Does your work need an artist’s statement? by alison schwabe

alison schwabe — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:08:04 +0000

I think THE best artist statement is a well chosen title, preferably a maximum of two or three words. After that, I usually provide no more than a sentence or two on source of inspiration. I don’t tell long winded ‘stories’ for, as several people have already pointed out, no design is improved by any elaborate verbal statement, no matter how well that literary work is crafted. Where possible I avoid mention of techniques, processes or materials, as I want my stitched textiles to be understood as art, not as technical marvels used on gee whizz materials.

Comment on Does your work need an artist’s statement? by Lyn Wolf Jackson

Lyn Wolf Jackson — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:48:34 +0000

Art I see and connect to is about me – what it makes me feel, what connects to me within it, what I like/dislike. So the visual is purely personal and varies a lot between viewers. We do not all live in the same reality. So can it stand alone? That depends upon the viewer and sometimes the venue/competition. I like labels for many of the reasons noted in other comments. I like artist statements because I want to know about the artist, their reason for being in their minds, their methods. It is all a triangle of connection and one really has little to do with the other other than it encircles that experience of that art piece.

Comment on Does your work need an artist’s statement? by Betty Rivers

Betty Rivers — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:46:57 +0000

No artist’s statement is required to make me want to view……….after I have read the title. The name given to the artwork is that important to me.

Comment on Does your work need an artist’s statement? by Grace

Grace — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 11:41:51 +0000

Carol, I sent in a piece to be juried in a regional show and knew without a doubt that it would not get in…I rewrote its statement too many times for it to mean anything to the jurors and therefore the viewers. I knew what the piece meant but could not express myself well enough in words. Today, looking back, I can honestly say that I know the piece was not strong enough to stand on its own although upon its completion, I thought otherwise. I’ve just started entering juried competitions so your post came at the right time for me.

As a viewer of artwork I am drawn to certain works in a show and only AFTER viewing do I look at the statement to glean some extra knowledge about the work. I am disappointed, however, when a statement only list the materials used.
Grace´s last [type] ..Bartering Creativity

Comment on Does your work need an artist’s statement? by Marilyn Wall

Marilyn Wall — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:38:18 +0000

Carol, Years ago when I was taking classes at the Greenville County Museum they had a famous artist speak to the students. He had a large exhibit in the museum. I really didn’t understand his work until I heard his presentation. During this talk it came out that his brother was an alcoholic, all of a sudden his work made sense to me. The work become much more powerful when I viewed it again.

Perhaps some people didn’t need that information to feel the power, but I did. Having said that I can’t think of anything I hate more than a statement that is fake. We all have seen and recognize those.

Comment on Does your work need an artist’s statement? by Heather Lair

Heather Lair — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:15:55 +0000

As a viewer of artwork I like when the artist statement tells me something about what the artist was thinking about when they created the work. A brief and concise description about the techniques and materials used also helps me understand a bit more and sometimes intrigues me to take a second look at the piece.
As a maker of art work I like to think about what I will say in the artists statement while I am making the art. I take a few notes as I go along and edit/compose at the end.

Comment on Does your work need an artist’s statement? by Lisa Quintana

Lisa Quintana — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:46:59 +0000

I think part of the problem is that “artist statement” is used interchangeably with “label.” First, you have to understand my background, I am a former museum curator who worked at history museums, however, I have a minor in art history and since high school have worked/studied/shown at art centers and museums.

I think that an artist statement should describe the artist (background etc.) general methods of work, and what he/she is moving toward. It doesn’t necessarily include all the fine details. General is better.

The label should describe methodology (how many times have you stood before a work and wondered “HOW DID they do THAT?”, especially for the person who may be viewing such a piece for the first time. (Think an admirer of traditional art forms standing in front of a deconstructed screen print with image transfer and gosh knows what all fiber piece. ). Date of completion is also interesting to me as I can THINK I know how an artist is progressing with a concept, but I won’t know for sure unless I am told.

It is a tradition in art galleries, museums etc. , to just give a title and let the viewer think for himself… I don’t particularly care for that as I want to know more and often leave such an installment with more questions and no place to find answers. I do, however feel that there is a place for people to just interact with the work, sometimes a little nudge is perfectly acceptable.

You are correct, however, in that some pieces don’t need any explanation. I can think, however, of one piece I recently did which needed more information. My piece “Standing on Sacred Ground” (http://michigoose-life-quilts.blogspot.com/2010/03/back-from-land-of-lost.html) is an image of someone standing barefooted on grass. I don’t know given today’s standard if anyone actually knows that it comes from the Bible (God tells Moses to take off his sandals for he is standing on holy ground), and I was using it to point out that we shouldn’t do anything to the earth we wouldn’t want to stand barefoot in. Very quickly stated, but it is a mild comment, not something which is in your face…even though I have done others which don’t need such explanation (for instance a piece of mirror on which I wrote all my dreams prior to having had stage IV breast cancer, then I shattered it and reassembled it as best I could). There’s more than just the “shattered dreams” bit, but I let the viewer fill in the pieces (none my dreams quite fit anymore and some parts were simply lost and I had to re-assemble my life).

Artist statement/general bio doesn’t, in fact I think it shouldn’t, be in front of each and every piece, but it should be somewhere.
Lisa Quintana´s last [type] ..In the Garden

Comment on Fav Roundup – Perseid Meteor Shower edition by Carol Logan Newbill

Carol Logan Newbill — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:42:37 +0000

Fervently hoping for good skies here too. The planetary conjunction should offer some great photography. i’m not so sure about my chances with the Perseids — I haven’t mastered locked shutter on the digital SLR yet.

Comment on Fav Roundup – Perseid Meteor Shower edition by Heather Lair

Heather Lair — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:39:44 +0000

Thanks for reminding me about this! lets hope for clear skies tonight…..