Workshop: How To Write An Artist Statement! 6 December 2015

Taking part in an exhibition soon? Think your website’s ‘about’ page could do with a revamp? Calling all artists to our next workshop in Liverpool…

Being able to clearly communicate and contextualise artwork is essential for any practicing artist. Yet writing about your own work can be difficult and stressful. This practical and friendly afternoon workshop is aimed at artists wishing to get to grips with their work, ideas and wider intellectual concerns through writing.

Led by The Double Negative magazine co-founder/editor and freelance writer (ArtReview, Art Monthly, a-n) Laura Robertson, we will:

• Discuss the motivations and essentials of a good artist statement, including what arts press, curators and audience are looking for;
• Break down and understand the difference between critical and descriptive language, and apply it to your own work;
• Practice writing and communication skills through applicable, easy to understand techniques and tools;
• Leave the workshop with new words and phrases, developed with other artists, to use to communicate your artwork in your own way.

Handouts and refreshments will be provided.

This course is for you if…

• You are a new or more experienced artist (working in any medium) wanting to refresh your writing skills;
• You are taking part in an exhibition soon;
• You think your website’s ‘about’ page could do with a revamp;
• You have been making new work in the studio and are unsure of how to communicate it to others.

Please note, this workshop is limited to 10 places, to encourage and facilitate analysis of our individual practices.

What you need to bring along:

• Your last artist statement or a print off of your website’s ‘about’ page (if you have one);
• Your artwork: bring along one work if portable, or a few good quality images (print off/iPad/laptop), or film clips. Something we can discuss and analyse.

Tutor profile:

Laura Robertson co-founded arts criticism and cultural commentary magazine The Double Negative in 2011, after developing a keen interest in critical discussion and arts activity. The editor-in-chief, she works with over 450 writers from all over the UK on a daily basis, editing new writing (essays, features, reviews, interviews) on arts, design, film and music.

A trained sound and text artist, and director of The Royal Standard Gallery and Studios (2009-11), Laura has taught professional practice in Visual Arts and History of Art (BA and Foundation) at Liverpool John Moores University, University of Reading, University of Salford, The City of Liverpool College, Liverpool Hope University, and Hugh Baird College (2010-present).

She has written about Margaret Thatcher, glow-in-the-dark skateparks, beer mat paintings, digital utopias and more for ArtReview, The Guardian, Art Monthly, a-n and Creative Tourist.

Interested? Join us on Sunday 6 December 2015 from 1-4pm at The Bluecoat, Liverpool — £21.99 including booking fee, handouts and refreshments

Please note: this event has been cancelled for rearrangement in the new year TBC