ART Biography

Biographies should be about one paragraph, 5-7 sentences long, but may be longer or shorter depending on the amount of information.

A biography should include:

• Name of artist
• Age
• Art medium
• Hometown
• Specifics about artform
• Specifics regarding work as an artist,
• Personal feeling or thought communicated by the artist

Here's a fill in the blank that might help get you started.

______________ (name) is a ___ (age) year old ______________ (profession/ medium) from _______________ (home town).

______ (He/She) studied _____________ (self-taught or school). ______

(His/her) __________ (adjective) artwork, mostly ______________________ (artform)

focus on ________________________________ (subject).

_______ (He/She) devotes most of ________ (pronoun) time to ______________________________ (activity or affiliation).

________________ (name) feels that it is important for people seeing ______ (his/her) art to know,

"_________________________________________" (personal quote / statement)

Example:
Nathan Jensen is a 36 year old painter/muralist/animator/illustrator from Austin, TX. He studied at the University of Texas, obtaining his BFA in 1990. His engaging and dynamically sculpted artworks, mostly oil paintings, focus on the multiplicity of expressions that occur in the single moment.
He devotes most of his time to management of the ART Hive, a collective of artists he founded in 1991. Jensen feels that it is important for people seeing his art to know, "Painting is not dead, there is much more to discover by the artist and the art viewer."

Artist Statement

The artist's statement is your opportunity to express personally WHY and HOW you make art. You may speak from the perspective of who your influences are, what materials you use and/or what metaphors or philosophical ideas you explore in your work.

An artist statement should be revisited often and kept current with the work you are presenting.

Keep it short. Don't include everything - only the most relevant issues.

Here's a fill in the blank that might help get you started. (Click on the fill in's where underlined for a pop-up list of possibilities)

I find that the process of creating my ______________ (types of art) fulfills my human needs for ______________and ______________ (universal human needs).

My favored media is ______________ (medium). I am influenced by the art of ______________ and feel associations in philosophy to the ______________ (art movements) art movement.

My process involves ______________________________________________________________________ (describe in brief your process).

I then ___________________________________________________________ and use my _______ (years) of experience to ___________________.

My color palette is generally ______________ and ______________ (words to describe art) similar to that of the ______________ (art movements)period.

______________ (subject matter) is the general subject matter. My art is often described as ______________. (words to describe art)

Overall, the ______________ of art makes helps me feel ______________. (feelings experienced when needs are met)

Example: Nathan Jensen
I find that the process of creating my paintings fulfills my human needs for inspiration, growth, meaning and purpose. My favored media is oil paint. I am influenced by the art of Picasso, Raphael and Modigliani and feel associations in philosophy to the Mannerist art movement. My process involves beginning with spirited, aggressive and expressive marking on canvas. I then find images within these marks and use my 15 years of experience to complete image. My color palette is generally warm and dark similar to that of the Renaissance period. Human expression is the general subject matter. My art is often described as reflective, sculptured and distorted. Overall, the process of art makes helps me feel relaxed, centered and renewed.