Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Artist Statements

Artist statements are little commentaries that accompany a work of art.  I think the best way to teach children how to write an artist statement would be to give them a worksheet with questions that they need to answer about their art.  For older children, the artist statement could be longer, for younger children, I would probably have them answer only a few questions about their art.
  • Why do you create art and what does it mean to you?
  • How does the creation of art make you feel? What emotions do you wish to convey about your art?
  •  What do you call the piece and why? What materials did you use?
  • What inspires you? How are your inspirations expressed in your work?
  • What message are you trying to convey to the viewer?
  • How is your work a reflection of you?
  • What are your techniques and style?
I would instruct the children to answer the questions so that they all form a paragraph rather than a Q/A format.  Example:  I create art because I like to tell stories through pictures.  Being able to do that makes me feel like I am giving to others.  Creating art makes me happy.  This picture is supposed to convey a feeling of excitement. I call it “first rollercoaster ride” because it is a picture of a girl who is on a rollercoaster for the first time in her life.  I made it with crayons and construction paper….
I would definitely give the children an example, maybe for younger grades I would even write the artist statement and have them fill in key words.   I create art because_____________. Making art makes me feel _______ because__________. This piece is a picture about____________.... 
Artist statements will incorporate writing and have the children express themselves verbally as well as through the art.  They will have to explain their thought process and emotions which is an excellent skill for individuals to develop!
*http://www.ebsqart.com/Education/Articles/Business-and-Marketing/14/How-to-Artist-Statement/75/

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