Cold Prairie Studio

I’ve recently submitted the list of works for my first solo gallery exhibit, which made the whole thing seem imminent. It’s the biggest artistic project I’ve done to date, so it seems odd that the thing that’s tripped me up is the Artist Bio, and following closely on its heels, the Artist’s Statement.

It’s not that I’ve ever found writing particularly difficult. I enjoy writing this blog, sending letters, and sometimes I even write a bit of fiction for fun. But each time I try to write about myself and my art, it’s endless stops and starts. One paragraph. A few lines. How hard can it be? I struggle to pull it together.

Some artists don’t do bios and statements. They let the art speak for itself, and I understand the appeal. And yet, I usually read the bios and statements posted in galleries and books. I appreciate that someone took the time to add some information for me as a viewer. It can be insightful, relatable and/or inspiring.

So what makes it difficult?

Because art is its own pure form of expression, it can be a struggle to distill its meaning into words, or to make a sound byte of that long journey that started way back somewhere and culminated with the body of work at hand. It sounds cliché to say has been making art since she can remember or I draw/paint what I see, even if those things are true. My own eyeballs are glazing over.

At some point, I remind myself I’m probably overthinking it, and not one person is going to pick my words apart as critically as I do. It might also be helpful to consider the bio and statement as the beginning of a conversation rather than a summative explanation. One of the lessons I’m learning with this exhibit is that one could go on and on trying to make everything perfect but the truth is, it’s never going to be. At some point we just have to accept that it’s done enough, and let go. After all, it’s the imperfections in art and life that can make it interesting.

I’d love to know what others think about writing and reading artist bios & statements. Leave comment or send me a note!