[Jewelry making - Article 00985] - Re: [Orchid] The purpose of Artist's statements?

[LSHancock]

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Elizabeth,

    Lots of people with differing agendas ask for artist statements.  
    Though the general idea of an artist statement is to give
    information, you do  need to ask yourself who the information is
    for.  

    If the information is for a jury who will judge the work you should
    give  information that will help clarify what they are seeing in the
    slides.  If the information is for the general public, the
    information should  be tailored to them.  If the information is to
    be included in a publication  that is displaying photos of your
    work, the information should convey ideas that  will clarify what
    viewers see and contextualize the images with the  concepts of the
    artist. 

    If the statement is to be placed in a store near your work, you
    should  give information pertinent to potential buyers and perhaps
    less educated  staff members.  If you want to call this marketing I
    can see the argument  for that, but I think more informed collectors
    and staff will see attempts  to substitute information for fluff and
    discount it for what it  is.  Most important is conveying why your
    work is different and what makes  it special.  

    Craft is personal.  The more closely the buyer feels kinship with 
    the producer, the more likely they are to maintain their attention
    long enough  to make a buying decision.  So, if you feel it's boring
    to list technical  details of process, keep that to a minimum and
    include more personal, but  relevant information. 

    Here are some examples of 3 of my own "statements of artistic 
    priorities" as I call my artist statements.  

    20 word artist statement: 

          A contemporary design vision made of precious materials and
          niello, using  the least number of electrically powered tools
          possible. 

    50 word statement: 

          I desire to create work that mixes goldsmithing virtuosity 
          with minimalist design using precious materials and niello. 
          Every step  is performed by hand using as few electrical
          devices as possible.  I  make my own niello and gold alloys. 
          The goal is to create, in metal,  a natural, graphic paper-like
          look. 

    artist statement used at shows: 

          Each piece of jewelry in my collection is created solely by me
          at my  studio in North Carolina. Every step from creating my
          own special alloys to  design and final finishing is performed
          with the goal of creating the next  generation of American
          heirlooms.  

    No molds are used in the creation of my work. I use traditional
    goldsmithing hand tools as well as self-made, nontraditional tools
    to give my work its distinctive look. Attention to quality is
    important enough to  require a microscope for many of the more
    detailed techniques. The work that  calls for mechanisms uses custom
    designed, intricately made catches and hinges. This is a hallmark of
    my work. 

    I use platinum, high karat gold in many colors and also niello, a
    traditional alloy prized for its unique properties by generations of
    metalsmiths across the globe. My work has been influenced by 4 master
     jewelers I've apprenticed with, both American and European who have
    handed  down and taught me traditional and contemporary techniques.
    Gemstones  sprinkled throughout accent the preciousness of the work. 

    My desire is to create work that mixes goldsmithing virtuosity,
    minimalist design and practical comfort in a way that has never
    before been executed or exhibited. Therefore, inherent in my work is
    that every aspect of every piece, front to back, should be
    interesting and integrated. Nothing should be overlooked or
    neglected. 

    Questions are welcomed and encouraged. 

    My experience is that judges and men make up 99 percent of the
    people  who take the time to read the artist information at a show,
    so the statement  above is geared more toward them. I've written
    many artist  statements. These are the only ones I've saved on my
    computer. I usually write a new one for each request ... unless I
    have a headache. 

    Lastly, an interesting and helpful link for information about artist
    statements at shows can be found at: 

    http://naia-artists.org/work/statement.htm 

Good luck
Larry Seiger

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