Corporate Art Advice Art Blog
Artists' Bio - Pointers on Writing One
by corporate_art_advice , June 9, 2009—04:01 PM
A well worded statement can be the perfect opening for your biography. Your personality will generally lead you into the construction of this brief paragraph. Many artists who have a talent to be nimble with words may decide on revealing something of their nature by playing with the media in which they work. I think one of my favorite examples is the statement by the gifted paper artist, Mary Lawler: "The nature of my work varies from time to time, but it almost always involves paper. I love paper, I write on paper, I collect paper, I hoard paper in drawers. I open a drawer, stroke the paper admiringly, then close the drawer. It's hard to put that first cut into a new sheet." Mary Lawler
In this very brief statement, she reveals her reverence for her media and her passion for doing a multitude of things with paper. It also gives a glimpse into her personality which, upon seeing her art, is reflected in her work. Another nimble tactic might be to write something succinct with a description of your approach to how you work. A great example of this is Peter Barnett:
"I am a painter of portraits and landscapes in oils. I work quickly, in sessions of about an hour, and try to capture the immediacy and truth of a given moment in light and color." Peter Barnett
In two sentences, we know that Peter is pretty much a pleine aire painter and that he is captivated by the immediacy of light and its effects on the color that surrounds him. And after looking at his work one can see that he is quick in applying his observations to canvas quickly and adeptly in order to render his interpretation of a visual moment. There are few, if any, wasted brush strokes and details are implied within the image as a whole. That's a lot of information from very few words.
Both of these artists have utilized minimum words in creating their opening statements, but what they have written speaks volumes of themselves as artists, their personalities and what their passions are for producing art. And people (hint, hint, buyers!) are generally more interested in knowing what it is that makes the artist more than knowing where they went to school, how many exhibits they've had, what galleries represent them, etc. That is not to say these credentials are not important, it's just that buyers want to KNOW the artist.
Remember, this is the FIRST thing that someone is going to read in your bio. It is going to be their FIRST impression of you. Lure them in. Because once you have a power statement, you can then continue with adding a little more information in your bio. And by information, I'm referring to highlights in your career.
The rest of your bio should be short and quick & easy to read. Put yourself in the readers' shoes and ask yourself what it is that's interesting about yourself and would pique the curiosity of a prospective buyer/collector. Pick out the best of your exhibitions and awards. Select the top collectors of your work. List your degrees and/or anyone well known that you may have studied with.
Separately, keep a detailed bio with a complete listing of all your credentials as a document that can be included with inquiries and sales. You will also need this for art consultants and gallery directors who will utilize the information in crafting their "sales pitches" and press releases. It will also be helpful in preparing your own press releases, grant applications, and project proposals.
Some things you might want to avoid are expressions such as "attempting to" (it sounds like you're trying hard at something and not being successful) or "self taught artist (makes it sound like you've dabbled.) Don't get me wrong on that "self taught artist" phrase, there are extremely successful artists out there that are self taught, but it should not be one of the highlights in your opening statement. Try not to get too technical in your descriptions as it takes away some of the mystery involved in the creative process. Buyers love the intrigue of the artist and the creative process under which they go, and it allows you to have an opening for dialogue with prospects.
One last thing, your statement will, and should, change over time, very much the same way that you and your work progress. And as this evolution takes place, update your statement to more closely identify to the growth of yourself as an artist and your work. Just as you would not allow yourself to get stale as a creative, don't let your statement become dated. After all, it is the viewers first introduction to you as an artist.
COMMENTS
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06/04/2012 * 10:20:40
Thanks for this outstanding article. I've been working on revising my bio, but you gave some super definitive tips on how and what to do. Appreciate the help.
Sincerely,
Sharon
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09/04/2009 * 14:42:21
Rona~
I believe that this is a much more common dilemma than you realize. I don’t think you should be worried about “beefing” up your CV. There’s nothing interesting about stuffing ennui into a bio to make it seem more “interesting.” I believe a really good story about your journey to being an artist will be much more appealing to buyers than reading a laundry list. Perhaps there was something about one of your jobs that had some sort of impact on your decision to take up photography. Maybe it was someone at one of your jobs that triggered your desire to pick up a camera and focus on capturing the beauty of nature. What was/is it that made/makes you focus on a detail of your subject rather than photograph the complete object? Putting together something more personal that reveals you as the artist is much more appealing and gives your work much more value to a potential buyer.
Write down some thoughts on separate note cards and post them around your work space. Live with these cards for a while show them to trusted family and friends and ask if they portray how they see you as an artist. You’ll probably find yourself changing them, expanding them, finding more concise words to describe your journey and yourself. Once you feel comfortable with them, put it all together into a paragraph or two. Post it in your bio and live with it for a while. The reality is, this artist statement will evolve with you and your work.
Good luck and let me know how you make out.
Carla~
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09/03/2009 * 17:40:38
Just read your helpful ArtID blog entry on artists' bios; it makes a lot of sense. My question is: how can an emerging artist, with no credentials whatsoever, fatten up a bio? My CV (which includes stints at or near the top of disparate industries having nothing to do with art) won't help at all in this arena because none of it is relevant. I'm at a loss on this and would appreciate any tips.
Thanks!
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06/16/2009 * 20:49:00
Maria~
I love your statement. It so embodies who you are--the resources you draw from in creating your poetry that are related to "home" as an assemblage of diversity that makes the complete composition of the individual that you are. It will be interesting to see how this statement changes over time in your exploration and maturation of self or perhaps you will decide as Peter has, to just add a paragraph to illustrate your growth as a writer.
Peter, I believe that your statement will always be a reflection of your work and how you approach your canvas. I agree that adding a later paragraph will be the portion of your bio that will change over time as you experiment in your work.
Happy this blog hit a chord for both of you.
Carla
06/13/2009 * 10:20:27
Hi Carla,
Your post made me wonder if I should stick with my current statement or change it! I think I have grown, and am certainly doing more larger works from digital images than I used to. However, the statement still reflects how I think of my artistic enterprise; my artistic goals really haven't changed. It seems better to add a later paragraph about what has absorbed me recently, and that would continually change.
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06/11/2009 * 08:41:37
Carla, this article inspired me to rewrite my bio. I'm not an artist, but I do on occassion publish some of my poetry. I always struggle with the bio seeing that other poets' bios are often a list of accomplishments that you tend to read to see how heavily published they are. Anyway, I love your idea of making it personal, so I wrote this new bio (though still a little rough) this morning for a reading I'm doing next month and in addition to sounding a lot more interesting, it also helped me to better understand where I was coming from in my work:
"Maria Williams-Russell is a writer who sometimes thinks of herself as a lost bird whose feathers don't match the feathers of the other birds where she has landed. Adopted by a Lithuanian mother and a Mayflower descendant father, she is not quite sure what it means when people ask her for directions in Spanish or marvel at her olive skin. Her poetry seems to revolve, in various ways, around this idea of displacement, of where and what is home. Maria received her MFA in poetry from Goddard College and her poems have been published or are forthcoming in The Bellevue Literary Review, Chronogram, Sous Rature and other small journals. Her poem "The Woven River" will be stenciled on the site of the new River Culture Art Pathway in Turners Falls, MA in the summer of 2009. She writes from her home in Greenfield, MA."
Thanks Carla!
K. Henderson ( homepage )
06/05/2012 * 10:00:55
This is an excellent example of an ARTIST STATEMENT and not a biography.
A Bio is written in third person and about facts and events.
An Artist Statement is written in first first and is used to talk about your inspiration and how you feel about your paper.