At 09:19 AM 9/23/03, Wayne wrote (in part):
John,
[snip]
Quoting from the article:
About painting, he underscores that having technique, or a visual
language, is only the beginning. A painter, most importantly, must
decide what he or she wants to say. "It is not often that you find an
artist strong enough to expand beyond the standard language and
develop a personal style," he comments. "You don't become a painter
to be a painter, but to develop a language to communicate the things
that move you."
So maybe what you are saying about having an artist's statement is that
there is a statement being made by the work itself, which is the more
important thing. For instance, just looking at your Kokomo shots, it is
clear that you wanted to capture the feel of the place and its dynamic
environment. Being able to articulate it probably helps.
[snip]
So the real art in 'art' is finding what one wants to express. I think I
got it. I think I'm a competent enough technical photographer, the
challenge is finding a direction to go with it.
[snip]
Yes, you've got it! The most important reason to make an artist's
statement is for the artist himself . . . *before* creating the
art. Inability to define (or choosing not to define) what is to be
accomplished beforehand results in aimless wandering. Anything of
"artistic value" that results is by accident rather than by design. After
I began defining first what the photographs should communicate to others,
decisions about composition and other aspects of technical execution became
much easier. It's what I've posted here and elsewhere a number of times in
one form or another . . . ask yourself first what it is you want to portray
and for whom, answer your own question(s), *then* decide how to accomplish it.
Nobody will give you an assignment; that must come from within. Think
about something you think is visually interesting, then consciously distill
out what it is that makes it visually interesting (at least to you). It
may be easy for some things and very difficult for others. Once you are
able to articulate that, then begin planning how you will celebrate it with
one or more photographs. Ansel Adams called this "visualizing" . . . the
act of imagining first what the finished photograph will look like before
setting about making it. There are times when this occurs for me in
milliseconds; there are other times when it must be deliberated
periodically for weeks or months.
Publicly posting an artist's statement with a body of related works
demonstrates to others educated and knowledgeable about art there was
consideration beforehand regarding what it is intended to communicate in
*general* terms about the body as a whole. Some people may be cynical
about such statements, and indeed poke fun of them with parodies for
singular works that remind me of pshyco-babble on the back of 1960's record
album jackets. However, making a straightforward statement entails risk,
and the artist who does so must have confidence in his works. They will be
viewed and judged by other artists (his peers) and people knowledgeable
about art against the content of the statement. On that basis, they will
either succeed or fail. The risk is utter failure if the body of work is
weak . . . much more so than without a statement. In addition, let there
be no doubt a statement that reeks of pretentious wishy-washy psycho-babble
fools few, but makes a fool of the "artist-pretender." When going to see
other artists' shows, I view the body of works, then read the statement
about them, and then view the works a second time. The evaluation I make
during the second viewing looks critically at how well the works live up to
what the artist stated they are intended to accomplish.
BTW, I do not make written statements about individual works, only bodies
of related ones. The TOPE entries are an exception, but they center around
equipment used and background information about the subject
material. Singular works are left to stand on their own without one; at
most, the title is usually a hint about what I was thinking when it was made.
-- John
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