Words are about words

I was part of an artist talk this weekend where I reflected on and took questions about one of the pieces from my new homage series. I don’t mind talking, it’s part of my day job actually. And it also got me thinking about the role of “the discourse” and spoken and written forays into the same by creatives (that’s a good link fwiw).

The moment I decided to decide on some words about words was upon reading a social media post after the talk by a friend who questioned what the Art world would look like in the absence of the artist statement phenomena which according to Wikipedia is relatively recent. Statements and talks are not the same thing and also yes they are, intertwined at the least (the chicken in the egg).

Seems like to answer the question posed (what would change about the Art world if International Art English disappeared- link is a pdf btw), one should unpack what purpose artist statements serve. I argued, prior to reading the wiki actually, they derive from the relationship of Art to academia*, that their purpose is to point the viewer towards the artists’ intended relationship to Art history. Specifically I argued (to no one in particular and also literally) that the challenge is postmodernism is not actually an “ism.” Said differently, we don’t have the type of shorthand in the visual arts that, say, musicians have, where one might declare “it’s not boom bap, it’s trap music” that would be the best candidate for a stand in.

I’d also suggest nothing perpetuates this part of the experience of taking in Art more than artists ourselves who. Are. Always. asking each other what our work is about.

*The very existence of the arts in the academic Ivory tower is, of course and not surprisingly, the reason the majority of opines on said post’s resulting thread were approximately “everyone is entitled to an opinion with or without academic credentials” (a very American, individualist viewpoint). I’m not sure I agree all opinions are informed with equal rigor and substance even if “we all have our opinions” is the dumbest hill to die on ever. Even with my quip about music categories considered one should probably recognize that people still have words about music they love (thank you Pitchfork, Okayplaya, Stereogum at el), because good Art inspires the same.

Do I think the visual Arts are better with or without statements? I’d say they are here to stay and if that isn’t what motivates you to view Art thanks for showing up for whatever reason motivates you, especially to Artist talks.