What is an Artist Statement?
An artist statement is piece of writing by you that helps the audience access or understand your artistic work. It is written in the first person, while artist bios are written in the third person. Both represent you as an artist, even while you are not there. Both are not meant to come to you right away and it will take some time, revisions, and fine tuning to have a finished written product. They may include sources, ideas, and materials in your current practice.
When is an Artist Statement Used?
Exhibition purposes, grant applications, teaching position applications, fellowships, and more. Also sometimes used on websites. It directs your audience to the concerns you consider to be important in the work, and helps publicists, curators, and critics write about the work. Writing about your work may also be integral to your creative process. You may be writing about as specific work, group of works or your body of work developed over a considerable period of time.
Excerpt from SAIC Artist Statement handout, retrieved online February 11, 2023.
Summary? Paraphrase? Quote? What they are and when to use them to avoid plagiarizing. If you have questions, ask your librarian.