Artist Statement Anxieties

I'm going to start out by saying that I'm a fairly decent writer. I give all credit to my high school English teacher. I can crank out an eight page paper in a weekend, and the first draft is always pretty close to the final product. I even enjoy writing at times, I wouldn't keep up this blog if I didn't.

But. . . . . I hate writing artist's statements.

Never in my life have I been so sure of what the work is about, and I could not be having a harder time putting it into words. And, I have about 50 quotes from people who say it far better than I ever could. And I'm terrified to start my actual thesis paper. I'm also terrified by the fact that I haven't started yet.

Here's what I've got so far:

This work is driven by a deep personal interest in the science of stones, rocks, geologic processes and the shaping of the physical earth. There is spirituality as well as beauty in something so magnificent and so unspectacular as the earth beneath our feet. Rocks, sand and dirt can convey as sense of sacred space. A stone worn smooth by tides can be soothing to the soul as well as the hand. A humble prayer bead becomes a pearl.

Spirituality also dwells in the very act of making. If one is open to it, each part of the creative process can be a step in the long inner journey towards enlightenment. Repetitive action becomes meditation; each piece becomes a prayer. This work is a reflection of my own inner journey, a consecration of both the mundane and profound, and my search for transcendence.

I swear, next time I'm going to make work about something that's easier to talk about. Like firetrucks.

I'm going to go start breathing into a paper bag now.

Artist Statement

We had to do artist statements for seminar today, so I thought I'd post mine:

This work is driven by a deep personal interest in the science of stones, rocks, geologic process and the shaping of the physical earth. From small stones found on the beach to mountains and caves, rocks symbolize a timelessness. They are the foundations on which all life is built. They are the beginning of time and will be the end of time. They are part of our past and our everyday. Both eternal and ephemeral.

Many contrasts exist within this work: hardness and softness, permanence and fragility, precious and worthless, mundane and revered. By pairing common rocks with enamel, gold, silk, and diamonds, they become elevated beyond their common state. The garden-variety rock or dirt is elevated to something to be considered, instead of overlooked. There is spirituality as well as beauty in something so magnificent and so unspectacular as the earth beneath our feet.