Artists Statements: Art 365 Artists' Samples

Curious about what other artists say about their work?  In preparation for the September 11 Artist Survival Kit workshops "Making a Statement," the following few posts will include actual artist statements from recent OVAC award recipients.  Through seeing these groups of statements, I hope you will see the variety of approaches you can take to writing about your work.  Also, you’ll see the distinctiveness of their descriptions, as distinctive as their artwork.

ART 365 Artists: These five artists were chosen out of 104 proposals submitted for the Art 365 exhibition that opens in March 2011.  Guest curator Shannon Fitzgerald reviewed a larger application packet that included their image samples, project proposals, artist statements and resumes. 

Aaron Hauck, The Strong & Silent Type, Sound proof sheathing, 11x36x14

Aaron Hauck

“My work represents my fascination and annoyance with consumerism and how the resulting energy waste, consumption, and litter effect our culture and the environment. The visual elements present are closely related to industrial and commercial objects and iconography.  The use of found objects and construction materials is very prominent.  My interest in found objects originates from seeing litter in the city and countryside alike and the dialog that is created between the refuse and the environment.”

Grace Grothaus, City of Light; Distopia Looming, Mylar, Duralar, leaves, acrylic, 12x18x4"

Grace Grothaus

“I am interested in the landscape and how it has been redefined & literally sculpted by mankind.  My artwork reflects the new landscape: a mesh of organic systems and industrial modification.  Though abstract, I consider these paintings a more true representation of the world we live in today than the nostalgic idealism that has often characterized landscape art in the past.  I want to make apparent the complex relationships between natural and industrial systems in the world today.”

See Art Focus Oklahoma article about Grothaus here.

Liz Rodda, Portraits of Strangers, Video stills

Liz Rodda

“As an artist, I am interested in assuming the role of soothsayer, failure and magic maker. This artistic practice establishes a balance between structure and chance. I often work with others (such as taxidermists, spiritual guides and strangers) giving creative responsibility to my collaborators; it the intersection between what is expected and delivered that I seek.

By displacing connotations of everyday events, familiar scenarios become foreign. Playing with meanings, context and imagination is central to how I approach art making. A recent piece, Connect with Carol, plunges into the world of the supernatural, faith and cultural expectation by placing two conceptually divergent videos and audio tracks in relation to one another. By transferring meanings to each other, the videos introduce unexpected contradictions and supplement our balance of perception with a disruptive counterbalance.

Whether it is the possibility of asking strangers to stand alone in public, recording a rock that appears to be moving of its own volition or collecting YouTube videos of lone performers, I enjoy asking questions about how we think, relate and experience the world.”

See Art Focus Oklahoma article about Rodda here.

Geoffrey Hicks, Voyeur, Robotic video installation

Geoffrey Hicks

"Process has always been the most important factor in my artwork.  While many artists associate themselves with a particular medium or craft, it is the process that joins all of my art together.  Often I start with a basic technology, unaware of what I want to use it for, I explore the possibilities through interaction and extensive testing.  I am constantly acquiring equipment and parts that might be used months or even years down the road when the inspiration strikes me.  Although my art is created with extensive use of technology, it is my aesthetic to deemphasize it’s complexity in the final product. I prefer the result to be playful and accessible to a wide audience."

Frank Wick, Do They Hate Us Because We're Fun? MDF and paint, 9'x4.5'x1'

Frank Wick

Artwork is, by its very nature, a by-product of our thinking. We think about each other, we consider ourselves and we think about thinking. It’s with ideas and actions we start to create a map of our expectations. This map allows a certain level of physical and emotional connection with the world around us. It allows us to see and experience things that otherwise would not exist. It gives us each a position we can hold on to. We can hold onto that position as loosely or tenaciously as we see fit, but it is ours for that time.

OVAC’s Artist Survival Kit workshop "Making a Statement" on September 11, noon-3 pm, will guide artists through the dreaded process of writing an artist statement. Wondering why write one, see Alyson Stanfield’s article on Art Biz Blog. Through a series of interactive exercises, artists will leave this workshop with a new or refreshed artist statement.