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Good Examples of Artist Research Pages

If you are wondering where you can find good examples of artist research pages, you’ve come to the right place.  It is great to have a collection of pages to show your students to inspire them and now you can just send them the link to this blog post.  Thanks to all the talented art teachers for their permission to use these images.

An artists research page should include the artist’s name, images of the artists work, annotation about the artist and also annotation which is the student’s personal response to the work.  Why did they choose it? How does it relate to the theme/idea they are investigating? What does the work inspire them to do next? Many successful artist research pages are also embellished so the whole page is a reflection of the artist’s work.

Every aspect of the research page below reflects the artist Ian Murphy.  It shows the artists name and includes annotation and images.  The student has created a drawing in the bottom left-hand corner inspired by the artists work. It appears that the background has had anaglypta wallpaper printed onto the page which creates a pattern that reflects the wrought iron and stone carving found in Ian Murphy’s drawings. The white and grey paint reflects the stonework of Murphy’s work.

Below, a combination of the artist work and the students work create a striking, colourful page.  Keywords describe the artists work.  The annotation is a combination of information about the artist and the student’s response to the work.  I like the ‘What Next!’ in the cup.  It shows the student is thinking ahead.

I wanted to include the research page below as the annotation is in-depth, insightful and full of subject-specific language.  Excellent to show your students what good annotation looks like.

The simple black and white presentation with torn edges below, reflects the artists work.  There’s nothing like a bit of white pen on black paper to create an artistic-looking page.  Over 50% of the annotation is the student’s response to the work.  I think this is a good ratio to have in mind.  The annotation is intelligent and includes the students own ideas.  The student is interpreting the work.

The Roy Thomas artist research page below, is neatly presented with clear images and annotation.  Together with the artist analysis , it creates a striking double-page spread. An artist analysis is where the student has recreated an artwork or section of an artwork so that they go through the process the artist has been through.  It is a controversial issue here in the UK with a fashion for moving away from doing this.  Many art teachers still believe there is a lot to learn by going through this process.  Another approach is for the student to create an artwork ‘in the style of’ the artists work from their own photographs.

The student includes detailed annotation about the process they have been through.

Julia Lillard creates surreal digital and paper collage.  In the research page below, the student Eva has captured the sepia tones often found in the artist work by lightly coffee staining the background and using brown gummed tape at the corners of artworks like old fashioned picture corners.  The student has included annotation and their own pieces of vintage collage.  The detailed annotation includes information about the artist, quotes from the artist, their personal opinion, and what they plan to do next.

The Claerwen James research page below has a successful diagonal layout on the left-hand page.  Students often want to fill 100% of the page but this space works well.  The students has also completed a skilful artist analysis.

I wanted to include the research page below, created at Kingsway Park High School , as it has such a strong composition. I love the way the text mirrors the shape of the artwork by artist Lorraine Roy . The student, Fizza I, has cut away some of the artwork and recreated it themselves to analyse the work.

For the research page below, the student first painted with acrylic on black paper.  They picked up on the reflected light that can be found in Liam Spencer’s work and used daubs of paint to create impressionistic car and street lights.  This students theme was ‘reflected light’ so they carefully chose Spencer’s work that shows this.  Their annotation is detailed, intelligent and uses subject-specific language.

The student who created the page below was investigating the theme of body issues and the size zero debate.  She researched the work of artist Adele Carney.  The use of dressmakers patterns in the background and tape measures was appropriate to the artist and theme.

I use the teaching resource below to support my students when they create artist research pages, especially when it’s the first time they do this.

If you have enjoyed this blog post about artist research pages, why not subscribe by clicking on the image below.  If you are an art teacher you will also be able to access 3 of my free resources every month too.

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The Arty Teacher

Sarah Crowther is The Arty Teacher. She is a high school art teacher in the North West of England. She strives to share her enthusiasm for art by providing art teachers around the globe with high-quality resources and by sharing her expertise through this blog.

2 responses to “Good Examples of Artist Research Pages”

Hello Sarah. Good day. Am impressed with your good job on Artist research. Please kindly mail to me examples of students responses to artist works while working on ARTIST RESEARCH PROJECTS (IGCSE) Thanks and hoping to hear from you soon.

Hi Monday, I’m sorry but I don’t email out student work. I hope you have discovered the ‘Arty Students’ section of the site which you can see here: https://theartyteacher.com/category/arty-students/

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GCSE Artist Research Guide

Creating research about artists is a creative and exciting part of a GCSE course. It will allow you to discover new artworks and learn about how artists think and work.

This GCSE artist research guide will help you find an appropriate artist, analyse their work and present your research to a GCSE standard. The purpose of research in GCSE Art is to help you understand the artist’s style , techniques / processes and themes . You will use this knowledge to inform your own artwork.

Researching artists / art exhibitions / photographers / designers is an important aspect of your GCSE Art course and can help you improve your own work and generate new ideas.

Successful GCSE artist research pages are produced by collecting information and images about an artist you are studying or want to study. Your research should include:

• A brief biography of the artist
• Pictures of their artwork
• Analysis of their artwork(s)
• The inspiration behind their pieces
• Your own response

A guide to creating high quality artist research:

• It is important to choose a relevant artist. If your project is about portraits , you shouldn’t really be looking at artists who specialise in landscapes !
• You should also choose an artist that you like . It’s no good choosing an artist if you think their work is boring.
• Use an artist who has similar skills to you. Do you prefer drawing? Avoid painters!
• This will show that you understand the context of their work.
• This will make your research look more professional.
• Artists often use social media to show their processes. Online museums and galleries also share information about the artist’s work or techniques.

How to present your artist research:

Once you have found an artist that you’re interested in and you have started to research them, you need to present what you have found. Use these tips to help show off your research:

• Plan your layout
• Include colours related to the artist
• Have a clear title
• Write neatly, checking spellings and grammar
• Type up annotations if it will help you
• Create a response using the same materials as the artist (eg. acrylic paint)
• Create your research on a computer if it will help you

DON’T:

• Spend hours on a fancy title
• Spend hours on a fancy background
• Feel like you need to write lots and lots
• Copy a full piece of the artist’s work – a colour study, or a section of their work is enough to learn from them

Let’s look at a good example of GCSE artist research :

• The layout is simple and clear; the background lines link to the artworks.
• The student has stuck to black and white, just like the artist.
• The title is clear and reflects the ‘glitch’ style of the art
• The writing is neat, along straight lines
• The drawing is high quality and uses appropriate materials (pencil and white pen). The student has clearly studied the artist’s work carefully.

How to analyse artwork:

You should choose a piece of artwork by the artist to analyse . Writing an image analysis about art can seem strange because there are no absolutely ‘correct’ answers. However, if you’re not sure how to analyse artwork, this guide to analysing art can help.

You don’t need to answer every question, but aim for at least 2 or 3 from each section:

Artist: Janet Fish Title: “Untitled (Two Packages of Pears)” Date: (1969) Medium: oil on canvas Size: 52 1/4″ x 42″

Let’s analyse an artwork using some questions from the “Content, Form, Process, Mood” Guide:

What can you see in the picture? Think about objects, colours, shapes and textures. The painting shows two packets of green pears, there are six in total. They are still in the wrapper and there are a lot of reflections painted to show the plastic covering them. What is the composition (layout) of the work? The pears fill the whole canvas and we can’t see much of the background. There is some symmetry with three pears on each side. Is there a colour scheme? Why or why not? There is a limited, harmonious colour palette of calm greens, blues and yellows. The colours are quite realistic and natural to reflect the subject matter. Is it realistic, or surreal, or both? Why? Overall the piece has realistic and surreal elements due to the sharp shapes of the light reflections that add contrast to the soft natural shapes. The shape of the reflections stand out against the soft round edges of the pears. How was the artwork made? The artist has used oil paints which enhances the glossy, plastic effect. Do you think the artist made any other versions or sketches? I think they would have sketched different layouts and mixed tester colours to match the fruit carefully.

Creating your own artist response:

Your response to an artist or artwork should use the same (or similar) materials to the artist. You might choose to focus on their use of colour or composition for example.

You should always include your opinion about an artist’s work in your research, explaining why you like/dislike their work.

You should also explain how it will inspire you or influence your own work.

In this artist research example the student has studied the artwork of Tjalf Sparnaay. Their response is a good quality drawing of a fried egg, copied from one of the artist’s paintings. The artist is a hyperrealist painter, but the student has responded with coloured pencils, showing skill in the accuracy of their drawing and managing to show some realism in their work through natural colours and a range of tones.

In this example, the student has researched the ceramic artist Mechelle Bounpraseuth . Their response doesn’t use clay like the artist, but the student has used the same idea as Bounpraseuth and chosen to draw a food object that reminds them of their family / friends. The drawing is highly skilled, showing a range of tones and highlights with exceptional attention to detail.

GCSE Artist Research examples:

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Artist research page checklist:

Now that you’re got an idea of what good artist research looks like, download the checklist below to use and help make sure you have included everything you need.

This artist research page checklist is simple to use and will make sure you / your students have included everything they need to make a successful, GCSE standard artist research page!

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Making and teaching art. Based in Manchester. View all posts by art_teacher_mcr

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• Researching Artworks and Artists
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The Ryerson & Burnham Libraries collection contains a wide variety of resources that can be used to locate information on artists and their works. Our open shelf collection in the reading room contains reference sources, such as dictionaries, directories, encyclopedias, and indexes. We have strong collections of artist files, auction catalogs, books, exhibition catalogs, journals, and newspapers in the library collection, and the Ryerson and Burnham Archives collections also contain papers for individual artists and arts organizations, as well as a collection of artists’ oral histories.

This research guide provides recommendations for research sources and strategies to locate information on both prominent and obscure artists and their works. Prior to beginning your research, we recommend that you compile as much information about the artist or artwork of interest to you as possible. Do you know the artist’s name, the artwork’s title, the approximate dates the artist worked or the piece was created, or the geographic area where the artist lived or the object was created? If you are working on an artwork in your collection, have you examined it to see whether it contains any signatures or marks, labels, or annotations (you may wish to remove the frame to fully examine the object)? Recording this information and bringing an outline of keywords or research objectives as well as clear, closeup images of any signatures or markings to the library with you will provide you with a strong starting point for your research.

Getting Started

The Ryerson and Burnham Libraries’ catalog will lead you to articles, artist files, books, and exhibition catalogues for an artist. For best results, use the Library Catalog search scope, and enter the artist’s name, last name, first name (example: Monet, Claude). The following resources will also be helpful in learning more about specific artists and their artworks.

Catalogues Raisonnés

Look for a piece in the most comprehensive catalogue of the artist’s known works. Please note these are not available for all artists. The International Foundation for Art Research maintains a free database of published and forthcoming catalogues raisonnés.

In the library catalog, search the Library Catalog scope for: [Artist’s name; Last Name, First Name] – Catalogues raisonnés (example: Hopper, Edward – Catalogues raisonnés).

Artist Files

The Ryerson & Burnham Libraries have over 35,000 artist files, which contain small exhibition catalogs, checklists, clippings, images, and fliers for artists, galleries, museums, and art schools. These are described in the catalog: the location and material type is Pamphlets. See also the New York Public Library’s artists file on microfiche (call number 1990 3).

Biographical Reference Resources

• Who’s Who in American Art This subscription resource is also available digitally in the reading room.
• Who Was Who in American Art, 1564-1975
• Dictionary of Artists (Bénézit) This subscription resource is also available digitally in the reading room.
• Allgemeines Kunstler-Lexikon This subscription resource is also available digitally in the reading room.
• Contemporary Artists

Ryerson Index

Look for articles on an artist, particularly if the artist was in the Chicago area and was active in the early to mid-20th century. This includes references to the Art Institute of Chicago Scrapbooks .

Full Title :   I ndex to Art Periodicals (1962)

Signature Directories

If you do not have the name of the work you are researching, but it has a signature, try resources such as these.

•      American Artists: Signatures & Monograms, 1800-1989
•      Marks & Monograms: The Decorative Arts, 1880-1960
•      The Visual Index of Artists’ Signatures & Monograms
•      Artists’ Monograms & Indiscernible Signatures: An International Directory, 1800-1991

Reproduction Indices

Track down works that reproduce a painting, such as World Painting Index or Art Reproductions .

Art Dictionaries

Art dictionaries are useful for biographies, introductions to periods of art, and the bibliographies that accompany entries; the Grove Dictionary of Art and Oxford Art Online (this subscription resource is available in the reading room) are good examples. Works such as the Dictionary of Art Terms can also be useful for definitions and explanations of terms and periods of art, as well as illustrations and diagrams for entries.

Articles on Art, Artists, and Related Topics

These subscription resources provide citations and some full-text articles on art, artists, and related topics. Unless otherwise noted, they are available onsite at the Art Institute of Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago campus. Faculty, students, and staff at the Art Institute of Chicago and School of the Art Institute of Chicago can also access most of these resources from other locations with an ARTIC username and password via the Art, Architecture, and Design Resources Page .

Newspaper Databases

The Libraries subscribe to online regional and national newspaper databases, which can be used to locate biographical or exhibition information.

These resources are accessible in the Ryerson & Burnham Libraries via the Newspapers Resources Page .

Auction Databases

The Libraries subscribe to a number of auction databases, most of which cover auctions from the last 20 years. 

These resources are accessible in the Ryerson & Burnham Libraries via the Auction Resources Page.

Researching Artworks in a Museum Collection

Objects currently on display in the Art Institute galleries can usually be found in Collections Online . The record may include an image, information from the wall label, and occasionally an exhibition history and bibliography of titles that mention the artwork. CITI is the museum’s internal collection database, which includes information on all artworks in the Art Institute’s collection. If an item is not on display in the galleries, this may be the best starting point. Please ask at the reference desk for CITI access.

For objects that are on display in other museums and institutions, the subscription ARTstor database, available in the reading room, contains a growing survey of major works of art, as well as specialized image collections.

Search by museum collection, artist, or keyword. ARTstor is available from the Image Databases page .

Catalog of Museum or Department

Consult the catalogs of a museum’s collection or a museum department’s collection. For example: American Arts at the Art Institute of Chicago . You can find these by searching the library catalog for the museum and department name and the term catalogs (for example, Art Institute of Chicago. Department of Textiles — Catalogs).

Beyond the Ryerson & Burnham Libraries

Area Libraries

Check libraries and/or historical societies in the area that the artist was from or was most active for information including newspaper articles and pamphlet files. Try “Find a library near you,” available here: https://www.worldcat.org/libraries .

Chicago Artists’ Archive at Chicago Public Library

This archival collection is available at the Harold Washington Branch of Chicago Public Library (8th floor). Files may contain: resumes, newspaper articles, artists’ books, gallery flyers, videos, press clippings, letters, photographs, some original artwork, and CDs. To find out if a particular artist is included in the collection you can call (312) 747-4300 or consult the list available here: http://www.chipublib.org/fa-chicago-artists-archive/ .

Collections that Have Works by the Artist

Once you discover which museum collections hold pieces by an artist, check with these institutions for information. 

Union Catalogs

The Chicago Collections Consortium contains digitized items from the archives and special collections of various Chicago-area institutions, including scrapbooks, photographs, and other printed material for local art-related topics. Access the free online portal here: http://explore.chicagocollections.org .

WorldCat is a catalog of library catalogs worldwide that contains records for libraries’ holdings of books, journals, manuscript collections, newspapers, and digital and audiovisual resources. It is available thorough subscription in the reading room, or in a free version .

Archival Collections

Look for collections of an artist’s papers in library collections around the world search WorldCat or ArchiveGrid .

For American artists, try the Archives of American Art: http://www.aaa.si.edu/ .

Art Information on the Internet

Conduct broad searches for anything on an artist’s name. Using quotation marks around the artist’s name can help limit, as can adding keywords outside the quotation marks.

“Claude Monet”

“Claude Monet” watercolor

“Claude Monet” artist

Searching Google Images, Google Books, and Google Scholar can also be very useful.

The entries in this free online encyclopedia often include bibliographies, references, and links to related entries.

Biographical Information

Consult sites created by museums, libraries, archives, galleries, and others that provide information on artists.

Art in Context

Artcyclopedia

 For artists about whom little professional literature is available, try genealogical resources such as census documents, city directories, county histories, and local newspaper collections. Many of these resources are freely accessible online.

ChicagoAncestors

Chronicling America

FamilySearch

Internet Archive

  Image Searching

If you have a digital image of the item you are trying to identify, run it through a reverse image search to locate images of similar items on the Internet.

Google Images

Art-Related Services

Appraisal and Conservation

Staff at the Art Institute of Chicago cannot provide authentication or appraisal services, and our conservation staff are not able to accept inquiries on works of art in personal collections. You can locate advice on these topics in our research guide on Appraisal and Conservation Resources for Art .

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Teaching Resource

Research skills and exam support

Designed to inspire ideas for research in the gallery, classroom and everyday life

About How to Research

Research brief, how do artists research, example discussion points and activities.

This resource was developed to offer creative research strategies to support a broad range of Art & Design curriculums for GCSE, BTech, and A-Level students.

How to Research models how artists can carry out research, with a specific focus on writing, drawing and looking. We invited three artists to respond to a project brief, providing prompts that encouraged them to draw connections between their particular thinking and approach to research, and their art-making practice.

The contents page of each booklet details this brief, encompassing methods of writing personal responses and collecting images and inspirations to compile research files; your students can discover new ways of approaching these tasks through the artists’ responses. We have also included discussion points and activities throughout the booklets, prompting students to further their research in their own ways.

Donald Rodney's sketchbook (Tate Archive ref: TGA 200321)

Used with permission

This activity invites your class to build research files of their own, gathering and developing their ideas to support their ongoing coursework. The prompts provide a framework that you can adapt in numerous ways, acknowledging your expertise in best supporting your pupils’ needs.

Ask your students to each find the following:

• An image of something they already have, that they currently use to made art
• An image of their own artwork
• An image of an artwork from the Tate collection that inspires them
• A quote or textual reference that inspires them

Then, challenge them to respond to the following questions, through writing, annotation, drawing, making, or more.

• What connections can they find between the images and texts they’ve chosen?
• Explain a process they use to help them process ideas and inspirations.
• What question would they ask an artist about their research? Which artist(s) would they ask it to?

Encourage your students to collect all the work they produce through this project in a sketchbook or folder. Where could they go next? How might this research influence their own artmaking?

Image from Drawing as Research  

© Sovay Berriman

Drawing As Research

Go for a walk. As you are walking, think of a question or a problem you are trying to resolve in your art and see if you can generate any new answers. Does the physical process of walking stimulate your thought process in the same way it does Berriman’s?

Make a drawing that explores your original question or problem, and any new ideas generated. Think about how you might relate this drawing to any other drawing, or artwork, you have made previously. Use this connection to make a new work, and so on. Record the connection between the works as you go.

By walking to produce ideas, Berriman might be considered to be engaging with a ‘non-art’ process to generate art. Are there any non-art processes that help you think through ideas, and if a non-art process generates ideas for artworks, is it still a non-art process?

Looking As Research

Take a photograph of a photograph, either on a screen or a printed picture. What do you see now that you couldn’t see in the original image? What happens if you repeat this process – how does the actual photograph itself (not what it is picturing) start to become visible, and is this interesting to you? How do you identify what is of interest to you?

How quickly do your interests change? Can you map out your changing interests through artworks/artists you have been drawn do? What can you learn from your map about the way that you are currently looking at art and what questions does the map raise for you?

Writing As Research

Get a pile of Post-It notes, record cards or just small scraps of paper. On each separate Post-It, card or piece of paper write down one of the ideas that you are currently working with in an essay, an artwork you are making, or just things you are thinking about. These can be quotations, single words that come to mind, questions, names and anything else you can think of. Stick them up on the wall in a way that makes sense to you. What new relations have formed? Leave them up overnight, or for a longer period of time, and then come back and rearrange them. How does this reordering change the meaning of the words? What new relations have formed? Write down new words or ideas that come to mind and add them to the wall.

This can be repeated for a week, a month, a year…

Use your Post-It wall as a starting point for other forms of writing; poems, lists, stories, scripts, descriptions… Now use someone else’s Post-It wall to do the same.

How to Research booklets are also available to pick up at the Schools Desk at Tate Britain and Tate Modern.

To further support your students at exam time see our Exam Help pages for more ideas and inspiration.

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Art History Research at Yale: How to Research Art

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Starting Your Research

Before you begin conducting research, it’s important to ask yourself a few questions:

1. What’s my topic? Review your assignment closely and choose an appropriate topic. Is this topic about a single artist or an art movement? Is it a study of one work or a body of works? How long is the paper—will you need a basic overview, or detailed analysis? Guiding questions such as these can help you determine what the best approach to your research will be. If you aren’t sure where to start, you can ask your professor for guidance, and you can always contact an Arts Librarian using their contact information on this page.

2. Which sources are best for my topic? With infinite time, you would want to read everything available, but there are often resources that are more applicable depending on your research topic. How to Find Art Resources provides more detailed information about choosing helpful sources based on general topics. Watch this video for brief instructions on how to find information on a work of art at the Yale University Art Gallery.

3. How will I manage and cite my sources? When you turn in your paper or presentation, you will need to provide citations in keeping with the preferred citation style. Keeping on top of your citations as you work through your research will save time and stress when you are finishing your project. All Yale students have access to tools to keep citations organized, generate a bibliography, and create footnotes/endnotes. For a quick guide, see How to Cite Your Sources , and more guidance is available on the Citation Management guide .

Related Guides for Art History Research at Yale

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How to Write and Artist Statement

This tutorial will show you different ways to approaching writing an artist statement. Following this guide you will understand what an artist statement is and be able to produce an artist statement that reflects your practice and provides insight into your work for the viewer.

What is an Artist Statement?

An artist statement is a curious intellectual exercise required by many applications for artist opportunities such as grants, exhibitions, residencies, public commissions, university teaching jobs. Museums sometimes print excerpts from artist statements on the walls of an exhibition as didactic, or explanatory text for the audience. Students are generally required to write artist statements in BFA and MFA programs. Artist statements are usually written in the first person by the artist who created a particular work of art. The content is up to the author, but artist statements generally include a description of the work, cultural influences, and an explanation of the work. Some statements also include biographical information and personal details about the artist’s thoughts and life.

Artist statements can be short or long. It is best to keep the statement brief but some occasions call for a longer in depth statement.

Do I Need to Write an Artist Statement?

You do not need an artist statement. You can have a successful career as an artist without every writing an artist statement. Much of the insistence of artists writing artist statement comes from inertia, or the tendency of things the remain as they are. Since previous people had to write artist statements, the next people think they need to write one too.

Applications that Do Not Request Artist Statements

The Guggenheim Memorial Foundation   external link does not request an artist statement to apply for its Fellowships. It requires a career narrative and a statement of your plans for the fellowship, but not a specific artist statement. 1

The MacDowell Colony   external link artist residency application does not require or ask for an artist statement. It does ask for a “Visual Summary Description” of two to five words as well as a project description of “… the project you intend to create at MacDowell.” The application ask for a “Work Sample Explanation: Tell us how your work sample(s) relate to and support your proposed project.” 2 Notice that the application does not as about what influences artists have from art history or for a specific statement about the work. Rather the application ask for more direct and specific information about the artist’s intended project and how past work relates to the completion of the proposed project. While an “artist statement” isn’t required, it is required to write about your work.

Sculpture Space   external link in Utica, NY has an open call for a funded Sculpture Artist in Residency Program. The application does not ask for an artist statement. The application requests a CV/Resume, 2 references, artwork samples, and a project description. 3

Applications that Request Artist Statements

Most college and university programs ask for an artist statement to apply for admission. CalArts requests a 500-1000 word artist statement. 4 Kent State University requires a “Goal Statement (250-500 words)” and a separate “Artist Statement (250-500 words) to apply to the MFA program. 5 Many residency and grant programs require artist statements. The Pollock-Krasner Foundation offers generous grants to artists and requests, a “one page statement describing the 10 images you have included with your application.” 6 and The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft requires a “one page or less … " artist statement to apply to its funded residency program. 7

So, I do Need to Write an Artist Statement?

The answer is still, no.

You will likely need to write about your work in some way to succeed as an artist but it is in no way a requirement. Even though not all applications ask for an artist statement, most applications as for some sort of written explanation about your past work or the work / project you plan to make.

The important takeaway is that writing about your art should be a means to an end. The “end” is to get other people to understand your art and what you want to do more. If the people who evaluate applications for grants, fellowships, residencies, exhibitions, and other opportunities understand your work more, then they are likely to appreciate it more. Therefore get rid of anything from your writing about your art that does not further the goal of explanation and understanding.

Although an artist statement is an unnecessary convention of the art world, it is a good idea to spend some time intentionally thinking about your artistic practice and why you are doing what you do. Otherwise you would continue thoughtlessly into the future with the same inertia as the convention of writing artist statements.

Artist Statement Instructions

The first step is to forget most of what you think you know about artist statements and the perceived need to connect to arbitrary art historical contexts. Forcing a connection to art history when it is not present is counterproductive. Your art is not made in a vacuum so there are cultural connections to your work from outside yourself. Identifying and investigating influences and connections in your work is important.

Focus on answering questions. What questions? Think about how you feel when you walk into an art exhibit. What do you want to know? What would you ask the artist if they were standing next to you?

Some questions you might have for an artist:

• Why did you make this work?
• Why did you use these materials?
• How did you make it? Could you talk about the process?
• Do you like how it turned out?
• Why should I care about your work?

It would be great to have an artist next to you at an exhibition explain their answers to these questions. You should attempt to convey the same satisfying explanation of your work for your audience as you write an artist statement.

Do’s of Writing An Artist Statement

• Be direct. Get to the point. Write in clear sentences. Most people will not read your entire artist statement. Make sure you have a succinct summary of your message in the first few sentences.
• Keep it brief. Your audience is more likely to completely read and comprehend your artist statement if it is not too long. This means that you need to use language efficiently to quickly and clearly talk about your art.
• Talk about process. As an artist, you can easily forget that not everyone works with oil paint, clay, welded steel, fabric, 3D printers, or the myriad of other artistic techniques. Your audience is likely wondering how you made your work. Satisfy their curiosity by telling them about the process you use to make your work.
• Forget about “art history” Remember that you need to be direct and brief? How will you adequately explain a direct influence from art history in a meaningful way while keeping your audience’s attention? It is not impossible but difficult. Unless you truly could not stop thinking about a particular artist, artwork, or movement from art history while you made the piece, then it is probably best not to talk about art history. Instead, talk about the “real” influences on the work? This could be art history but also includes music, pop culture, your friends and family, your arbitrary lived experience and other thoughts that are likely more specific and meaningful than the influence from a few other works of art.
• Have someone read it. Have a friend or better, a stranger read your artist statement. Watch them while they read it. Look for any moments that they lose interest or seem confused. After they are finished ask them if they were bored or engaged. Ask them to tell you what they think you meant by the statement without looking back at the text. They will likely use different words than you. Some of the words they use could be better and clearer ways of explaining your work.

Don’ts of Writing An Artist Statement

• Don’t over explain. Stick to the matter at hand and keep any explanations specific to the work.
• Avoid common reflections. Most artists enjoyed making art in their childhood. While this may be important to you and your identity, it has the chance of seeming common or mundane to the reading. Make sure you write about the work and what it is about the work that is unique and engaging.
• Do you need that quote? It this your artist statement or someone else’s artist statement? A specific quote may inspire your work but the original quote is less important in your statement than an explanation of how the work expands on and presents ideas that may have originated from a quote. People want to see what you have to say and create.
• Don’t use “academic” language or uncommon terms. Sometimes an obscure word is just the thing to get your point across, but in most cases a more universal and clear explanation is possible. Try the xkcd Simple Writer   external link that only allows the 1000 most common words. For example “How to Write an Artist Statement” becomes “How to Write the thoughts of a person who makes pictures” since “artist” and “statement” are not in the most common 1000 words. Of course you do not need to stick to these 1000 words. It is just an exercises to identify places in your writing that you may not be the most clear and universally understandable.

Approaches to Writing an Artist Statement

Have a friend interview you about your art.

A great exercise for writing an artist statement is to have a friend or colleague interview. You. Have them prepare a list of questions that they want to know about your art. It is a good idea for you not to know the questions in advance so your answers are spontaneous. Sit down in a relaxed but relatively formal setting. Use an audio recorder or a speech to text application to record your immediate answers to the questions from your peer.

Why would you do this rather than just answering the questions yourself? By foreseen yourself to speak to another human, your mind will need to complete thoughts, even if your thoughts don’t make sense, you will continue talking because you understand the social expectations of the person interviewing you. We don’t expect someone to give a short for word phrase for an answer when being interviewed. But it is perfectly acceptable to jot down a few words or notes in a sketchbook or notebook without making a complete thought.

By using the forced interview, you will be required to speak complete thoughts. Of course, many of the sentences you say may not make any sense, that is okay. After you are done with the mock interview, then you can review your answers and see which parts are worth keeping and which parts need a lot of revision and editing.

Another benefit is you can directly ask the person who interviewed you about which parts of your answers were satisfying and which parts were confusing.

Read Other Artists’ Artist Statements

Whenever you see an artist statement online, or an artist statement had an exhibition, make a copy of it and save it. If you review many artist statements at the same time, you will notice features of statements that you appreciate and features that you find annoying. This will likely be different for each reader, but it will give you a sense of things that you want to do in your artist statement and things you want to avoid.

Think about artists whose work that you like. Look up their information online and see if you can find an artist statement that they have written. Read the artist statement and see if it aligns with your conception of the artwork.

If it does align with your conception and feeling about the artwork, how does it do this? If it does not relate to how you see the artwork, why is that?

The more artist statements that you read, the more you will have an appreciation for clear and concise explanations of artwork and concepts.

Further Reading

Historical artist statements.

I was walking along the road with two friends — the sun was setting The sky suddenly turned bloody red I stopped, leaned against the fence, tired to death. Over the the blue-black fjord and city lay blood in tongues of fire My friends walked on and I stood there quaking with angst. And I felt as though a vast, endless scream passed through nature. Edvard Munch - Written in a diary and on the frame of the 1895 version of the The Scream 8

Are there any art historical references in Edvard Munch’s statement on The Scream ? Does the artist use any art speak or strange jargon?

• 1974 Artist Statement by Robert Indiana   external link

External Links

• Rule, Alix and Levine, David (2002). International Art English   external link . Triple Canopy .
• Beckett, Andy (2013-01-27). “A User’s Guide to Art Speak”   external link . The Guardian .
• Jaffe, Iris (2013-03-29). “The Anti-artist-statement Statement”   external link . Hyperallergic .
• The Artist Statement: 5 Do’s and Don’ts   external link
• Ober, Cara (2009-04-28). “The Artist Statement & Why They Mostly Suck”   external link . BmoreArt .

Guggenheim Fellowship Application Resources   external link   ↩︎

The MacDowell Colony Application Guidelines   external link   ↩︎

Sculpture Space Application Guidelines   external link   ↩︎

CalArts Application Requirements   external link   ↩︎

Kent State MFA Program Application   external link   ↩︎

Pollack-Krasner Foundation Grant Application   external link   ↩︎

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft Residency Application   external link   ↩︎

(2021-11-04). “From a “soul’s diary”   external link . The Norwegian American .  ↩︎

• ← 01.05 Artist Statement Collection Assignment

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Art History Resources

• Guidelines for Analysis of Art
• Formal Analysis Paper Examples

Guidelines for Writing Art History Research Papers

• Oral Report Guidelines
• Annual Arkansas College Art History Symposium

Writing a paper for an art history course is similar to the analytical, research-based papers that you may have written in English literature courses or history courses. Although art historical research and writing does include the analysis of written documents, there are distinctive differences between art history writing and other disciplines because the primary documents are works of art. A key reference guide for researching and analyzing works of art and for writing art history papers is the 10th edition (or later) of Sylvan Barnet’s work, A Short Guide to Writing about Art . Barnet directs students through the steps of thinking about a research topic, collecting information, and then writing and documenting a paper.

A website with helpful tips for writing art history papers is posted by the University of North Carolina.

Wesleyan University Writing Center has a useful guide for finding online writing resources.

The following are basic guidelines that you must use when documenting research papers for any art history class at UA Little Rock. Solid, thoughtful research and correct documentation of the sources used in this research (i.e., footnotes/endnotes, bibliography, and illustrations**) are essential. Additionally, these guidelines remind students about plagiarism, a serious academic offense.

Paper Format

Research papers should be in a 12-point font, double-spaced. Ample margins should be left for the instructor’s comments. All margins should be one inch to allow for comments. Number all pages. The cover sheet for the paper should include the following information: title of paper, your name, course title and number, course instructor, and date paper is submitted. A simple presentation of a paper is sufficient. Staple the pages together at the upper left or put them in a simple three-ring folder or binder. Do not put individual pages in plastic sleeves.

Documentation of Resources

The Chicago Manual of Style (CMS), as described in the most recent edition of Sylvan Barnet’s A Short Guide to Writing about Art is the department standard. Although you may have used MLA style for English papers or other disciplines, the Chicago Style is required for all students taking art history courses at UA Little Rock. There are significant differences between MLA style and Chicago Style. A “Quick Guide” for the Chicago Manual of Style footnote and bibliography format is found http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. The footnote examples are numbered and the bibliography example is last. Please note that the place of publication and the publisher are enclosed in parentheses in the footnote, but they are not in parentheses in the bibliography. Examples of CMS for some types of note and bibliography references are given below in this Guideline. Arabic numbers are used for footnotes. Some word processing programs may have Roman numerals as a choice, but the standard is Arabic numbers. The use of super script numbers, as given in examples below, is the standard in UA Little Rock art history papers.

The chapter “Manuscript Form” in the Barnet book (10th edition or later) provides models for the correct forms for footnotes/endnotes and the bibliography. For example, the note form for the FIRST REFERENCE to a book with a single author is:

1 Bruce Cole, Italian Art 1250-1550 (New York: New York University Press, 1971), 134.

But the BIBLIOGRAPHIC FORM for that same book is:

Cole, Bruce. Italian Art 1250-1550. New York: New York University Press. 1971.

The FIRST REFERENCE to a journal article (in a periodical that is paginated by volume) with a single author in a footnote is:

2 Anne H. Van Buren, “Madame Cézanne’s Fashions and the Dates of Her Portraits,” Art Quarterly 29 (1966): 199.

The FIRST REFERENCE to a journal article (in a periodical that is paginated by volume) with a single author in the BIBLIOGRAPHY is:

Van Buren, Anne H. “Madame Cézanne’s Fashions and the Dates of Her Portraits.” Art Quarterly 29 (1966): 185-204.

If you reference an article that you found through an electronic database such as JSTOR, you do not include the url for JSTOR or the date accessed in either the footnote or the bibliography. This is because the article is one that was originally printed in a hard-copy journal; what you located through JSTOR is simply a copy of printed pages. Your citation follows the same format for an article in a bound volume that you may have pulled from the library shelves. If, however, you use an article that originally was in an electronic format and is available only on-line, then follow the “non-print” forms listed below.

B. Non-Print

Citations for Internet sources such as online journals or scholarly web sites should follow the form described in Barnet’s chapter, “Writing a Research Paper.” For example, the footnote or endnote reference given by Barnet for a web site is:

3 Nigel Strudwick, Egyptology Resources , with the assistance of The Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Cambridge University, 1994, revised 16 June 2008, http://www.newton.ac.uk/egypt/ , 24 July 2008.

If you use microform or microfilm resources, consult the most recent edition of Kate Turabian, A Manual of Term Paper, Theses and Dissertations. A copy of Turabian is available at the reference desk in the main library.

C. Visual Documentation (Illustrations)

Art history papers require visual documentation such as photographs, photocopies, or scanned images of the art works you discuss. In the chapter “Manuscript Form” in A Short Guide to Writing about Art, Barnet explains how to identify illustrations or “figures” in the text of your paper and how to caption the visual material. Each photograph, photocopy, or scanned image should appear on a single sheet of paper unless two images and their captions will fit on a single sheet of paper with one inch margins on all sides. Note also that the title of a work of art is always italicized. Within the text, the reference to the illustration is enclosed in parentheses and placed at the end of the sentence. A period for the sentence comes after the parenthetical reference to the illustration. For UA Little Rcok art history papers, illustrations are placed at the end of the paper, not within the text. Illustration are not supplied as a Powerpoint presentation or as separate .jpgs submitted in an electronic format.

Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream, dated 1893, represents a highly personal, expressive response to an experience the artist had while walking one evening (Figure 1).

The caption that accompanies the illustration at the end of the paper would read:

Figure 1. Edvard Munch, The Scream, 1893. Tempera and casein on cardboard, 36 x 29″ (91.3 x 73.7 cm). Nasjonalgalleriet, Oslo, Norway.

Plagiarism is a form of thievery and is illegal. According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, to plagiarize is to “take and pass off as one’s own the ideas, writings, etc. of another.” Barnet has some useful guidelines for acknowledging sources in his chapter “Manuscript Form;” review them so that you will not be mguilty of theft. Another useful website regarding plagiarism is provided by Cornell University, http://plagiarism.arts.cornell.edu/tutorial/index.cfm

Plagiarism is a serious offense, and students should understand that checking papers for plagiarized content is easy to do with Internet resources. Plagiarism will be reported as academic dishonesty to the Dean of Students; see Section VI of the Student Handbook which cites plagiarism as a specific violation. Take care that you fully and accurately acknowledge the source of another author, whether you are quoting the material verbatim or paraphrasing. Borrowing the idea of another author by merely changing some or even all of your source’s words does not allow you to claim the ideas as your own. You must credit both direct quotes and your paraphrases. Again, Barnet’s chapter “Manuscript Form” sets out clear guidelines for avoiding plagiarism.

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Home » Artistic Research – Methods, Types and Examples

Artistic Research – Methods, Types and Examples

Table of Contents

Artistic Research

Definition:

Artistic Research is a mode of inquiry that combines artistic practice and research methodologies to generate new insights and knowledge. It involves using artistic practice as a means of investigation and experimentation, while applying rigorous research methods to examine and reflect upon the process and outcomes of the artistic practice.

Types of Artistic Research

Types of Artistic Research are as follows:

Practice-based Research

This type of research involves the creation of new artistic works as part of the research process. The focus is on the exploration of artistic techniques, processes, and materials, and how they contribute to the creation of new knowledge.

Research-led practice

This type of research involves the use of academic research methods to inform and guide the creative process. The aim is to investigate and test new ideas and approaches to artistic practice.

Practice-led Research

This type of research involves using artistic practice as a means of exploring research questions. The aim is to develop new insights and understandings through the creative process.

Transdisciplinary Research

This type of research involves collaboration between artists and researchers from different disciplines. The aim is to combine knowledge and expertise from different fields to create new insights and perspectives.

Research Through Performance

This type of research involves the use of live performance as a means of investigating research questions. The aim is to explore the relationship between the performer and the audience, and how this relationship can be used to create new knowledge.

Participatory Research

This type of research involves collaboration with communities and stakeholders to explore research questions. The aim is to involve participants in the research process and to create new knowledge through shared experiences and perspectives.

Data Collection Methods

Artistic research data collection methods vary depending on the type of research being conducted and the artistic discipline being studied. Here are some common methods of data collection used in artistic research:

• Artistic production: One of the most common methods of data collection in artistic research is the creation of new artistic works. This involves using the artistic practice itself as a method of data collection. Artists may create new works of art, performances, or installations to explore research questions and generate data.
• Interviews : Artists may conduct interviews with other artists, scholars, or experts in their field to collect data. These interviews may be recorded and transcribed for further analysis.
• Surveys and questionnaires : Surveys and questionnaires can be used to collect data from a larger sample of people. These can be used to collect information about audience reactions to artistic works, or to collect demographic information about artists.
• Observation: Artists may also use observation as a method of data collection. This can involve observing the audience’s reactions to a performance or installation, or observing the process of artistic creation.
• Archival research : Artists may conduct archival research to collect data from historical sources. This can involve studying the work of other artists, analyzing historical documents or artifacts, or studying the history of a particular artistic practice or discipline.
• Experimental methods : In some cases, artists may use experimental methods to collect data. This can involve manipulating variables in an artistic work or performance to test hypotheses and generate data.

Data Analysis Methods

some common methods of data analysis used in artistic research:

• Interpretative analysis : This involves a close reading and interpretation of the artistic work, performance or installation in order to understand its meanings, themes, and symbolic content. This method of analysis is often used in qualitative research.
• Content analysis: This involves a systematic analysis of the content of artistic works or performances, with the aim of identifying patterns, themes, and trends in the data. This method of analysis is often used in quantitative research.
• Discourse analysis : This involves an analysis of the language and social contexts in which artistic works are created and received. It is often used to explore the power dynamics, social structures, and cultural norms that shape artistic practice.
• Visual analysis: This involves an analysis of the visual elements of artistic works, such as composition, color, and form, in order to understand their meanings and significance.
• Statistical analysis: This involves the use of statistical techniques to analyze quantitative data collected through surveys, questionnaires, or experimental methods. This can involve calculating correlations, regression analyses, or other statistical measures to identify patterns in the data.
• Comparative analysis: This involves comparing the data collected from different artistic works, performances or installations, or comparing the data collected from artistic research to data collected from other sources.

Artistic Research Methodology

Artistic research methodology refers to the approach or framework used to conduct artistic research. The methodology used in artistic research is often interdisciplinary and may include a combination of methods from the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Here are some common elements of artistic research methodology:

• Research question : Artistic research begins with a research question or problem to be explored. This question guides the research process and helps to focus the investigation.
• Contextualization: Artistic research often involves an examination of the social, historical, and cultural contexts in which the artistic work is produced and received. This contextualization helps to situate the work within a larger framework and to identify its significance.
• Reflexivity: Artistic research often involves a high degree of reflexivity, with the researcher reflecting on their own positionality and the ways in which their own biases and assumptions may impact the research process.
• Iterative process : Artistic research is often an iterative process, with the researcher revising and refining their research question and methods as they collect and analyze data.
• Creative practice: Artistic research often involves the use of creative practice as a means of generating data and exploring research questions. This can involve the creation of new works of art, performances, or installations.
• Collaboration: Artistic research often involves collaboration with other artists, scholars, or experts in the field. This collaboration can help to generate new insights and perspectives, and to bring diverse knowledge and expertise to the research process.

Examples of Artistic Research

There are numerous examples of artistic research across a variety of artistic disciplines. Here are a few examples:

• Music : A composer may conduct artistic research by exploring new musical forms and techniques, and testing them through the creation of new works of music. For example, composer Steve Reich conducted artistic research by studying traditional African drumming techniques and incorporating them into his minimalist compositions.
• Visual art: An artist may conduct artistic research by exploring the history and techniques of a particular medium, such as painting or sculpture, and using that knowledge to create new works of art. For example, painter Gerhard Richter conducted artistic research by exploring the history of photography and using photographic techniques to create his abstract paintings.
• Dance : A choreographer may conduct artistic research by exploring new movement styles and techniques, and testing them through the creation of new dance works. For example, choreographer William Forsythe conducted artistic research by studying the physics of movement and incorporating that knowledge into his choreography.
• Theater : A theater artist may conduct artistic research by exploring the history and techniques of a particular theatrical style, such as physical theater or experimental theater, and using that knowledge to create new works of theater. For example, director Anne Bogart conducted artistic research by studying the teachings of the philosopher Jacques Derrida and incorporating those ideas into her approach to theater.
• Film : A filmmaker may conduct artistic research by exploring the history and techniques of a particular genre or film style, and using that knowledge to create new works of film. For example, filmmaker Agnès Varda conducted artistic research by exploring the feminist movement and incorporating feminist ideas into her films.

When to use Artistic Research

some situations where artistic research may be useful:

• Developing new artistic works: Artistic research can be used to inform and inspire the development of new works of art, music, dance, theater, or film.
• Exploring new artistic techniques or approaches : Artistic research can be used to explore new techniques or approaches to artistic practice, and to test and refine these approaches through creative experimentation.
• Investigating the historical and cultural contexts of artistic practice: Artistic research can be used to investigate the social, cultural, and historical contexts of artistic practice, and to identify the ways in which these contexts shape and influence artistic works.
• Evaluating the impact and significance of artistic works : Artistic research can be used to evaluate the impact and significance of artistic works, and to identify the ways in which they contribute to broader cultural, social, and political issues.
• Advancing knowledge and understanding in artistic fields: Artistic research can be used to advance knowledge and understanding in artistic fields, and to generate new insights and perspectives on artistic practice.

Purpose of Artistic Research

The purpose of artistic research is to generate new knowledge and understanding through a rigorous and creative investigation of artistic practice. Artistic research aims to push the boundaries of artistic practice and to create new insights and perspectives on artistic works and processes.

Artistic research serves several purposes, including:

• Advancing knowledge and understanding in artistic fields: Artistic research can contribute to the development of new knowledge and understanding in artistic fields, and can help to advance the study of artistic practice.
• Creating new artistic works and forms: Artistic research can inspire the creation of new artistic works and forms, and can help artists to develop new techniques and approaches to their practice.
• Evaluating the impact and significance of artistic works: Artistic research can help to evaluate the impact and significance of artistic works, and to identify their contributions to broader cultural, social, and political issues.
• Enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration: Artistic research often involves interdisciplinary collaboration, and can help to foster new connections and collaborations between artists, scholars, and experts in diverse fields.
• Challenging assumptions and pushing boundaries: Artistic research can challenge assumptions and push the boundaries of artistic practice, and can help to create new possibilities for artistic expression and exploration.

Characteristics of Artistic Research

Some key characteristics that can be used to describe artistic research:

• Creative and interdisciplinary: Artistic research is creative and interdisciplinary, drawing on a wide range of artistic and scholarly disciplines to explore new ideas and approaches to artistic practice.
• Experimental and process-oriented : Artistic research is often experimental and process-oriented, involving creative experimentation and exploration of new techniques, forms, and ideas.
• Reflection and critical analysis : Artistic research involves reflection and critical analysis of artistic practice, with a focus on exploring the underlying processes, assumptions, and concepts that shape artistic works.
• Emphasis on practice-led inquiry : Artistic research is often practice-led, meaning that it involves a close integration of creative practice and research inquiry.
• Collaborative and participatory: Artistic research often involves collaboration and participation, with artists, scholars, and experts from diverse fields working together to explore new ideas and approaches to artistic practice.
• Contextual and socially engaged : Artistic research is contextual and socially engaged, exploring the ways in which artistic practice is shaped by broader social, cultural, and historical contexts, and engaging with issues of social and political relevance.

Advantages of Artistic Research

Artistic research offers several advantages, including:

• Innovation : Artistic research encourages creative experimentation and exploration of new techniques and approaches to artistic practice, leading to innovative and original works of art.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration: Artistic research often involves collaboration between artists, scholars, and experts from diverse fields, fostering interdisciplinary exchange and the development of new perspectives and ideas.
• Practice-led inquiry : Artistic research is often practice-led, meaning that it involves a close integration of creative practice and research inquiry, leading to a deeper understanding of the creative process and the ways in which it shapes artistic works.
• Critical reflection: Artistic research involves critical reflection on artistic practice, encouraging artists to question assumptions and challenge existing norms, leading to new insights and perspectives on artistic works.
• Engagement with broader issues : Artistic research is contextual and socially engaged, exploring the ways in which artistic practice is shaped by broader social, cultural, and historical contexts, and engaging with issues of social and political relevance.
• Contribution to knowledge : Artistic research contributes to the development of new knowledge and understanding in artistic fields, and can help to advance the study of artistic practice.

Limitations of Artistic Research

Artistic research also has some limitations, including:

• Subjectivity : Artistic research is subjective, meaning that it is based on the individual perspectives, experiences, and creative decisions of the artist, which can limit the generalizability and replicability of the research.
• Lack of formal methodology : Artistic research often lacks a formal methodology, making it difficult to compare or evaluate different research projects and limiting the reproducibility of results.
• Difficulty in measuring outcomes: Artistic research can be difficult to measure and evaluate, as the outcomes are often qualitative and subjective in nature, making it challenging to assess the impact or significance of the research.
• Limited funding: Artistic research may face challenges in securing funding, as it is still a relatively new and emerging field, and may not fit within traditional funding structures.
• Ethical considerations: Artistic research may raise ethical considerations related to issues such as representation, consent, and the use of human subjects, particularly when working with sensitive or controversial topics.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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Crafting Artistic Statements: 10 Powerful Examples & Guide

If you’ve been dreading writing your artist statement, you’re not alone. Although you love working on your artwork , coming up with an artist statement isn’t always easy.

But don’t fear! I’ll share some examples of famous artist statements here. Plus, I’ll walk you through how to write your own artist statement, what to include, and what to skip. 

So, let’s get started!

10 Excellent Artist Statement Examples

Here are ten great artist statement examples you can use for inspiration! Looking at good artist statements can help you decide what to include in your own. But don’t feel like you should copy a sample artist statement – remember to make it unique and personal! 

1. Wassily Kandinsky

“I let myself go. I thought little of the houses and trees, but applied color stripes and spots to the canvas… Within me sounded the memory of the early evening in Moscow – before my eyes were the strong, color-saturated scale of the Munich light and atmosphere, which thundered deeply in the shadows.”

2. Gustav Klimt

“I have never painted a self-portrait. I am less interested in myself as a subject for a painting than I am in other people, above all women… There is nothing special about me. I am a painter who paints day after day from morning to night… Whoever wants to know something about me… ought to look carefully at my pictures.”

3. Mark Rothko

“I’m not interested in relationships of color or form or anything else. I’m interested only in expressing basic human emotions – tragedy, ecstasy, doom, and so on – and the fact that lots of people break down and cry when confronted with my pictures shows that I communicate those basic human emotions… The people who weep before my pictures are having the same religion I had when I painted them.”

4. Edvard Munch

“I was walking along a path with two friends – the sun was setting – suddenly the sky turned blood red – I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned on the fence – there were blood and tongues of fire above the blue-black fjord and the city – my friends walked on, and I stood there trembling with anxiety – and I sensed an infinite scream passing through nature.”

5. Pablo Picasso

“I have never made trials or experiments. Whenever I had something to say, I have said it in the manner in which it needed to be said… I can hardly understand the importance given to the word “research” in connection with the modern painting. In my opinion to search means nothing in painting. To find is the thing.”

6. Jackson Pollock

“I want to express my feelings rather than illustrate them. It doesn’t matter how the paint is put on, as long as something is said. On the floor, I am more at ease. I feel nearer, more part of the painting, since this way I can walk around it, work from the four sides and literally be in the painting. When I’m painting, I’m not aware of what I’m doing. It’s only after a get-acquainted period that I see what I’ve been about. I’ve no fears about making changes for the painting has a life of its own.”

7. Nancy McIntyre

“What do I want to say with my art? Celebrate the human, the marks people make on the world. Treasure the local, the small-scale, the eccentric, the ordinary: whatever is made out of caring. Respect what people have built for themselves. Find the beauty in some battered old porch or cluttered, human-scale storefront, while it still stands.”

8. Duane Keiser

“My subject matter tends to be those fragmentary passages that reside within the mundane – the in-between spaces of our lives that we see but often do not notice. For me, these paintings are about the pleasure of seeing; of being cognizant of the world around me, and pushing to find an alchemy between the paint, my subject, and the moment. I view each piece as being part of a single, ongoing work.”

9. Charlene Fuhrman-Schulz

“My subject matter is nature, whether it is a traditional landscape or a bird and flower painting. I use traditional materials, ink, and brush on rice paper, to capture movement and life — making the brush dance and the ink sing. Everything is captured in the spontaneous dance and movement of the brush as it meets the rice paper. There is no going back and correcting when painting with ink and rice paper.”

10. Georgia O’Keeffe 

“I have but one desire as a painter – that is to paint what I see, as I see it, in my own way, without regard for the desires or taste of the professional dealer or the professional collector. I attribute what little success I have to this fact. I wouldn’t turn out stuff for order, and I couldn’t. It would stifle any creative ability I possess.”

What is an Artist Statement?

Every artist needs to write an artist statement at some point. But, what is it exactly?

An artist statement gives insight into the artist’s process and creative decisions. It can also explain the themes, ideas, and vision of the artist. You can think of it as an initial introduction to yourself and your work to give a great first impression!

Artist statements officially date back to the 1990s . But while they haven’t been around a long time, artists have always tried to define and explain their work. 

These statements can vary in length from a few sentences to a page or more. Each statement will differ, but you want yours to be memorable and easy to understand.

Most importantly, it should help people to understand your work.

Artist statements are used for many reasons. You may use yours when applying for grants, submitting a portfolio, or for PR and press mentions.  It can also appear on your website. 

So, it’s an essential document you’ll need to create. It’s key to growing your following and building a successful career as an artist. 

Writing an artist statement can also help you to get clear on your overall vision and values. You might need to spend some time reflecting on what your art means to you.

And yes, it does mean you’ll have to put down the paintbrush briefly. But with these tips, you’ll know exactly how to write your artist statement. 

Once it’s written, you can use the same statement again and again. If your artwork evolves over time, you may want to update it slightly. But you’ll have already done the hard work researching, planning, and writing it.

How to Write an Artist Statement

Writing an artist statement sounds daunting, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. 

Here are my simple steps for crafting an engaging and effective artist statement! These tips will take you from a bland statement to an amazing artist’s mission statement.

Use simple language

Don’t overcomplicate your statement or use very academic language. That can put people off reading it. Your statement must be powerful and accessible to everyone.

Use active voice and 1st person perspective

I always recommend using the active voice as it comes across as more confident and powerful. Avoid wishy-washy phrases like:

• I want to … in my work

Instead, switch it to active voice. Instantly, you’ll have a more interesting and captivating statement. 

Using 1st person perspective also ensures that your statement is clear and direct. 

Keep it short and sweet

You want to grab the reader’s attention and hold their interest. Avoid an artist statement that is several paragraphs (or pages!) long. A short artist statement is more powerful. So, it should be concise and to the point, without any filler. 

Condense what you want to say down into as little as possible without losing the meaning. Your artist statement should be short enough to quote! 

Ask yourself questions

Your statement allows you to provide a greater understanding of your creative choices. It can give a window into your thought process, so people can take more from your art.

But you need to ensure you include this information in your statement. Otherwise, you’re missing an opportunity. 

One effective method is to think about what people might want to know from you. What questions do you get asked in interviews?

Here are a few questions you could ask yourself:

• What do you want to achieve with your art?
• How do you create your artwork?
• What type of artist am I?
• How does the process, medium, or technique affect the work?
• What does the reader need to know to understand your artwork?
• What emotions do you want to invoke in the reader?
• Who has influenced you in your artistic career, and particularly in this work?
• Who or what are you addressing in this artwork?
• What else do you want your audience to know?
• How does this work relate to your other works?
• What is your art philosophy?
• How does your artwork fit into the history of art?

Don’t worry – you don’t have to answer all these questions in your statement. You can decide which ones make sense. Remember that short and sweet is better than long and dry – you want to get people interested in you!

Once you’ve identified what people want to know about you and your art, you can consider your responses. 

Do your research

A great way to get inspiration for your artist statement is by looking at other examples. You can read up on how the old masters or contemporary artists describe their work. 

Doing some research will help you understand how to structure your statement. It can also give you food for thought to delve deeper into the meanings of your artwork, too! 

If you’re still struggling, there are artist statement templates you can use to get you started. A template will help you build your statement’s structure so that you can concentrate on the details. 

Step away and come back later to edit

It’s easy to get caught up in the details and overthink something as important as an artist’s statement. This document is meaningful and may provoke lots of thoughts or emotions. 

If you find yourself writing and editing, again and again, take some time to step away. Any piece of writing benefits from a fresh eye. When you work on something for a long time, it’s easy to miss any minor details or mistakes.

I always recommend coming back another day to read through and make any final changes. 

The Wrap Up

Writing your artist statement doesn’t have to be a painstaking process. Now, you’ve had a look at some great artist statements. With these simple tips, you’re all set to craft your own statement now! 

Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below. Go ahead and share your artist statement once you’ve written it, too! 

Follow me on Pinterest for more tips, guides, and tutorials for creative professionals! 

Outmane is the founder of Proactive Creative. He is an artist/designer.

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Art and Art History

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• Cite Sources UT Austin Guide Learn more about what citations are and how to manage them. Includes information about citation tools like Noodle Tools and Zotero.
• UT Austin University Writing Center A resource for help with your writing. The Writing Center includes one on one consultations as well as classes.
• OWL Purdue - Chicago Style The OWL Purdue is a great resource for writing and citation help. Chicago Style is the preferred citation format for art history. The OWL also includes citation help for other styles include APA and MLA.

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Thesis Helpers

Find the best tips and advice to improve your writing. Or, have a top expert write your paper.

70 Top Art Research Paper Topics To Explore

Unlike other forms of expression, it is difficult to determine the value of art using figures. However, personal impressions can help us measure this value and consequently making it a subject of research. Many people find it challenging to study topics related to emotions. If you are one of them, you can now breathe a sigh of relief. We give you manageable and useful art research paper topics that will soften your entire essay writing process.

Have a look at our dazzling and inspiring art paper topics below. They will give you the right direction for your research and pave the way to a thrilling and art-provocative essay. Let’s dive in.

Art History Research Paper Topics: Romanticism

Who doesn’t love romance! It is one of the most significant art history times that would excite many to write and also read. Do you remember the likes of Romeo and Juliet? Well, here is more of that:

• Romantic originality in the 19th century
• Art philosophers who pioneered the romantic movement: A case study
• Visionary and imaginary part in romanticism
• Romantic literature as a form of romanticism: A critical analysis
• Discuss the main features of romanticism in the art history
• Why did romanticists use the world around us (nature)
• What is the place of emotions and feelings in the romanticism era
• Describe the impact of “The sublime” phrase used in romantic literature
• The judgmental and restrictive thinking of the mid-19th century in romanticism
• American romanticism: A review of the poetic art history
• Important symbols in the passionate art history age
• Local color as a style in romanticism
• A study of the Hudson River in romanticism
• Why did romantic literature focus on the idea of the inner self

Great Arts Research Paper Topics on Minimalism

Minimalism, as a form of art, was a movement in painting and sculpture of the 1950s. It was made clear by the use of massive and straightforward ways. Here are some art research paper topics:

• The elements of minimalism art in Specific Objects by Donald Judd
• Discuss the rise of minimal art
• How the purely visual response impacted minimalism art
• Minimalism: Demystifying art and revealing its fundamental character
• Explain the concept of pure aestheticism
• What was the effect of removing self-expressionism from the artwork?
• How to color was used to delineate space
• How mass-produced materials underscored the lack of an artist’s mark
• Understanding the minimalist sculptors
• Describe Sculptor Sol LeWitt’s statement, “the most interesting characteristic of the cube is that it is relatively uninteresting.”
• Debunking the non-hierarchical character of the grid-based compositions in minimalism art
• Reconsidering the relationship of the audience to the art object
• Discuss the industrial materials used by minimalists
• How minimalist painters created objects with the presence
• The impact of combining paint and canvas by minimalists making them inseparable

Eastern Art Research Topics

These arts research paper topics include developments in Asian art historically. There was a significant influence of Eastern art on Western art, and vice versa. Are you excited to explore some Eastern art history topics? Let’s go!

• A history of Eastern art and its development
• The artistic and architectural traditions of the Eastern art
• How to develop and manage collections and exhibits from Eastern art
• A survey of the visual arts of Eastern Asia from the 11th to the 15th centuries
• A critical look at the Eastern art painting, sculpture, and architecture
• High renaissance artists during the Eastern art history
• Understanding the fundamentals of Eastern art history architectural analysis
• Significant elements of the Chinese painting and calligraphy art
• The origin of the Art of Israel and the Jewish diaspora
• Evaluating the major orders of Cambodian art
• Impact of Eastern art on cultural, religion, and religious development
• Insights into the unique qualities of the Japanese art
• Eastern dance and its contribution to aesthetics

Unusual Ancient Art History Paper Topics

Ancient art existed around 30,000 B.C.E. to 400 A.D. One can trace it back to the fertility statuettes, and the bone flutes up to roughly the fall of Rome. The art research topics here include:

• The impact of the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the nomadic tribes to the ancient art history
• Cultures created during ancient art history
• The role of oral tradition in promoting art
• Development of the classical and Hellenistic art
• The purpose of writing in ancient art history
• How pictures colored the ancient era
• Characteristics of Mesopotamian art
• Impact of literature on religion, military, and hunting
• A case study of professional artists and craftspeople in the ancient art
• A review of the shapes and form of art in this period
• Hierarchical representation of images in Egypt
• The place of woodwork and metalwork
• Impact of the major rivers on art
• The use of ritual bronzes in ancient China

A-Grade Medieval Art Topics For Research Papers: Religious Aspects

Here’s some art thesis topics about medieval art:

• Analyze the Mosaics in Basilica churches
• The impact of Manuscript Illumination
• Influence of art on Christian Architecture of churches and temples
• A critical look at the walls of catacombs
• An artistic study of the highly decorate pile carpets
• The bright mosaics in Islam temples
• Discuss the development of the Mughal portrait
• The use of primary colors in Romanesque art
• A survey of the stained glass
• Features of abstract representation
• Impact of ornate carvings in worship
• Religious Byzantine theme: a case study
• What are the essential imperial issues to the Byzantine society
• Why many sculptures have failed to survive the passing of centuries

With these beautiful art research paper topics and ideas, nothing can stop you now. Pick one that suits your taste and embark on it right away.

Our professional research paper and thesis writers are on standby to help you write on any topic. If you’re thinking “where can someone write my dissertation for me ,” it’s here! All you need to do is to contact us and get your assignment done in no time!

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How to Research an Artist or a Work of Art

• How to research an artist

Where is it located?

Research the artist, unknown artist.

Gather all the information you can about the work, this is know as the artwork's "tombstone information"

• date or approximate date

Make a list of what other information you need for the research project/paper/ assignment and why. Thinking about the work of art and information needed can help you narrow down your research.

Do you know where it is located?

If you know what museum or gallery the work of art is located in, check the institutions’s website for more detailed information on that piece. Many museums and galleries will provide the most up to date information on items in their collections. The museum your artwork is located in may also have their own collection-specific guides to help researchers. Some examples are listed below.

Researching the artist is often the best way to learn about the art work you have chosen.  For more information on researching an artist please see above. The following databases are good places to search for information on your artist. 

What if you don't know the artist?

If you do not know the artist of your object, you will have to research characteristics of the work. 

• Where was it created?
• When was it made?
• What style is it?    How can you tell?
• What are the materials used?
• What are some similar works?

This will help you learn the context of your object and make informed conclusions about the work.  Use other works/artists that are similar as examples to support your ideas.

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• Last Updated: Feb 22, 2024 3:57 PM
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The Gallery’s Guide to Writing Good Artist Bios

Including artist bios on your gallery’s website is an excellent way to engage readers and collectors, and to help you frame your gallery’s artistic focus and position the artists you represent. A good artist bio will inspire collectors to want to find out more about the artists and their work and lead them to keep browsing the artist’s works on your website. See the artist bios as your artists’ business cards – you want them to stand out, to provide all the essential information, and to convince collectors to become interested and, eventually, to reach out and buy works. Read on to discover how to write a stellar artist bio thanks to our 10 tips.

1. Create a concise summary

An artist bio should concisely summarise the artist’s practice. It’s not about covering an artist’s entire CV or full biography. Focus on a few main points that you believe to best introduce the artist and their art. Always include the medium, themes, techniques, and influences the artist works with.

2. Use clean, simple language

Use clean, simple language and avoid academic jargon and exaggerated language. Readers respond to authentic, simple texts and will take you much more seriously than if you use over-embellished language.

3. Grab the attention with a creative first sentence

Try to start the bio with a first line that is not simply a standard biographical introduction. Instead, be more creative and write a first sentence that grabs your readers’ attention while also telling them what is the most important thing about this artist and their work.

4. Include the artist's date of birth and nationality

Always add the date of birth (and in the case of artists who have passed away, the date of death) and the nationality of the artist. Also mention where they are mainly based – readers are interested in knowing where an artist is living and working, as this adds to a certain understanding about the artist’s influences and way of working.

5. Keep the bio around 120 words

The bio should be between 80 and 140 words. An ideal artist bio is 120 words. Research at museums has shown that visitors lose interest in reading wall labels accompanying art works after 150 words. That’s why it’s better to limit your word count to around 120 words – your readers will get enough information and be curious to learn more on their own, without getting bored and leaving your page because they don’t want to read an unnecessarily long text.

6. Discuss medium, techniques and style

Include all the important tangible aspects of the artist’s practice including: the medium and techniques the artist uses and the artistic style. Give examples of the artist’s key works that clearly elucidate these qualities.

7. Describe the main themes

Describe the main themes which the artist depicts in the work. What are the subjects and issues that inspire the themes in the artist’s pieces?

8. Position the artist in art history

Briefly reflect on the artist’s position in art history. What makes this artist important, what impact does he or she have on the history of art, which artists have influenced this artist and in what way has the artist redefined a certain medium or artistic technique?

9. Place the artist in his/her specific context

Position the artist in his or her cultural, political, social or technological context. Consider which events and which influences from the artist’s background and everyday life influence the way they work, and the art they produce.

10. Add a relevant quote

If you can find a short, relevant quote from the artist which supports the above-mentioned points, it can be a nice touch to add this to the bio in order to make it stand out more as an engaging, original piece.

Follow our ‘Gallery’s Guide’ series for more useful tips and strategies to improve your gallery’s online presence and business.

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Art Research Basics

• Getting Started
• Welcome to Art Research Basics

Understand Your Assignment

Create some research questions to guide your inquiry.

• Know Your Sources
• Find Your Sources
• Cite Your Sources

James Baldwin on Art

Brainstorm Search Terms

Below are some basic search terms that work well in our databases. A research librarian can also help you identify additional terms supporting your specific assignment.

Art history

Baroque art

Medieval art

Photography, 

art - Combine this subject term with names of specific artistic movements, geographic regions, time periods, etc. (for example: African American Art  or Art, Africa)

names of specific artists

The content of your paper is dictated by your professor's assignment prompt. Read it carefully, as following the guidelines laid out by your professor is crucial to your success. If the assignment prompt confuses you, consider attending your professor's office hour or emailing them for clarification.  MJC research librarians are happy to help you understand the guidelines laid out in your assignment.

Check out these useful links providing guidance and tips for students tasked with writing about art. These links are meant to serve as a supplement to your professor's assignment prompt and the material in this guide.

• Writing about Paintings From the Thompson Writing Program at Duke University, this handout provides specific information on how to analyze paintings.
• Writing about Photography From the Thompson Writing Program at Duke University, this handout is part of their amazing Visual Rhetoric/Visual Literacy Series. It focuses on how to write about photography.
• Guidelines for Analysis of Art Writing a formal analysis of a work of art is one of the fundamental skills learned in art appreciation class. This handout guides students through the process.

Research questions will keep you focused and on task. Sometimes your professor will include specific questions they want addressed within the prompt.  A research librarian can also help you develop questions based on the parameters of the assignment.

Below are some generic questions that can help you get started on researching an artistic movement or era :.

Why is this movement important to art history?

What characteristics are common to works in this movement?

What is the history of this movement? When, why and how did it begin?

Who are the important artists of the movement? What are the important works?

What subsequent movements/artists has this movement and its artists inspired?

Based on my research, what do I think about this movement's significance to American art history?

Here are some useful questions focusing on a specific work of art :

Who is the artist? Provide biographical information about him/her.

What is the medium of the work of art? Can you provide a physical description?

Can you describe the different artistic elements present in the work (line, shape, light, color, texture, space, time, motion, etc.)

What is the affect of these various elements?

In what country/culture was this work created? When?

What other art was being created in this culture at this time?

To what artistic movement does this work of art belong? Describe it.

In what ways is the chosen work of art representative of the movement? In what ways is it unique?

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Author Interviews

What's the key to creating great art this author spoke to 40+ artists to find out.

Michael Levitt

Ari Shapiro

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Adam Moss, author of The Work of Art: How Something Comes From Nothing.

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

I've got a 400-page book. I have a couple hours to spend with the author talking about it, and I have eight minutes of your time to tell you about this book. So where should I begin?

ADAM MOSS: Yeah, no, I'm feeling, very exposed and somewhat terrified.

SHAPIRO: Exposed? Terrified? That seems like a good start. We've got emotion, stakes and a character. The author? Adam Moss. His new book explores how creative people make things.

MOSS: The book is called "The Work Of Art," and that is kind of what it's about.

SHAPIRO: It's about the work. In more than 40 chapters, one per artist, the book tries to answer the question - how does a sketch become a painting, a scribbled lyric become a song? Or how does a sprawling interview become a radio story?

You know, on second thought, maybe I should start this piece with a scene instead - take two.

MOSS: So this building used to be pretty much all artist studios, and then, over the years...

SHAPIRO: Adam Moss and I walk into a square room with white walls, light streaming in from windows on two sides...

MOSS: Which is my sort of secret painting studio, and it's kind of my den of torture.

SHAPIRO: (Laughter).

MOSS: And this is where I come, you know, many days and wrestle with trying to make something (laughter).

SHAPIRO: And it's just art everywhere you look. The difference between this and other artist studios being that you've never allowed anyone in this space before now?

MOSS: That is true - just my husband and my teacher. That's it. Two people in my entire life, and I've had this thing for five years. So welcome.

SHAPIRO: Well, what a privilege. What a privilege.

See, when Adam Moss gave up his job as editor-in-chief of New York Magazine five years ago, he started painting. He loved it, and it was agonizing.

MOSS: I really wanted to be good, and it made the act of making art so frustrating for me. And what - you know, just to cut to the chase - you know, what I learned from this book is that the end product is not the point. Everyone I talked to was, in many ways, indifferent to the product of their labors - and, really, extreme labors. And what they were consumed by - why they did what they did - is because they were consumed by the work.

SHAPIRO: Ugh. Is this too forced - trying to emulate the form of the book in the form of this radio piece? Oh, wait - I know. The solution to my problem of how to start this story is in the book.

How do the artists you spoke with deal with the blank page?

MOSS: Well, it was a preoccupation of all of them. And they all approached it differently, but, basically, they tried to get through that as quickly as possible and with as little thought as possible. Many of them write in longhand, giving themselves...

SHAPIRO: Yeah.

MOSS: ...Explicit permission to fail.

SHAPIRO: Key, it sounds like, is it doesn't have to begin with something good. It just has to begin.

MOSS: It just has to begin.

SHAPIRO: Phew. OK, then - let's move on.

The artists in this book cover so many different genres. There are composers and crossword-puzzle-makers. There are poets and playwrights, painters. What interested me the most was the number of things they all have in common. Can you list off a few of those for us?

MOSS: Sure. Fundamentally, they all have drive. They all have a compulsion - an obsession to make something. It gets into their system, and they can't let go of it. They have faith. They have patience. They have perseverance. They have luck.

SHAPIRO: The book is a visual feast full of drafts and sketches. Every page offers images showing how an idea becomes a finished design. You know what? Maybe I should zoom in, give you a specific example. And since this is an audio story, it should probably be a musician. Adam Moss and I talked about composer Stephen Sondheim and singer-songwriter Rostam, who's less well known. Which one do I put in this story? Well, Sondheim already gets a lot of attention on NPR, and I like an underdog. So...

You spoke with the artist Rostam, formerly of the band Vampire Weekend, now a solo artist, and he described to you the process of writing the song "In A River."

SHAPIRO: What was that process for him?

MOSS: The process for him was he had purchased a mandolin. And he was just plucking it, sitting in his house, and a chord progression came to him.

(SOUNDBITE OF RASTAM BATMANGLIJ SONG, "IN A RIVER")

SHAPIRO: But it had to be a simple chord progression 'cause he wasn't good at playing the mandolin.

MOSS: Absolutely. He'd never played it before.

SHAPIRO: Which gets to the theme of limitations are so helpful to so many of these artists.

MOSS: Limitations are helpful. And also, he had played the guitar. So he had in him ingrained a certain facility, which - he was able to adapt to the mandolin. He played this little, simple chord progression. He would then revisit this sound now and then. At one point, he started to sing kind of gibberish, which was, by the way, what all the songwriters do at first.

SHAPIRO: All of them.

MOSS: All of them - every single one - they start by just singing the thing that comes to their mind. It's the blank page that you were talking about before. And in this case, the line - the key lyric of the song came to him in that very first instant, swimming in a river with no clothes on. And he liked that.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "IN A RIVER")

ROSTAM BATMANGLIJ: (Singing) We are swimming with no clothes on in a river in the dark.

SHAPIRO: In the book, you print the draft lyrics that he was playing with and then the final lyrics, and so we can see how it evolves from, yeah, I'm holding on to you, yeah, I got you by the arm, to and I'm holding on to you, boy, in the faint light of the stars.

BATMANGLIJ: (Singing) And I am holding onto you, boy, in the faint light of the stars.

MOSS: And in fact, when he - you know, when he looked at his early lyrics in any number of places, he'd cringed.

SHAPIRO: Yeah, I mean...

MOSS: But he said, as he says - he says, but that's what - you've got to get through the bad in order to get to the good.

BATMANGLIJ: (Singing) In the faint light of the headlights of passing cars.

SHAPIRO: And so as we sit here in your painting studio, surrounded by studies half-finished, entirely finished paintings that you have felt like were torture as you were making them...

MOSS: (Laughter).

SHAPIRO: ...What has the experience of writing this book and speaking with all of these geniuses taught you?

MOSS: It's taught me to appreciate the making, not the made, which is enormously relieving for me and allows me to feel joy, even when I don't like what I make.

SHAPIRO: Every creation is, in some sense, defined by its limitations.

MOSS: Mmm hmm.

SHAPIRO: And one of the limitations on this interview we're conducting is that it is eight minutes on the radio - no more, no less.

SHAPIRO: So how do we end it? What did you learn from the artists you spoke to about how to end the thing?

MOSS: Well, people end for all sorts of reasons. They end because they're afraid they're going to screw it up. They end because they're bored. They end for completely arbitrary reasons. And let's end it there with - let's just end it.

SHAPIRO: Adam Moss - his new book is "The Work Of Art: How Something Comes From Nothing." Thank you so much.

MOSS: Thank you.

SHAPIRO: Sorry, there was one thing about endings that I really loved, which was Twyla Tharp basically saying, like, an ending is just another thing.

MOSS: Yeah, we can actually end there if you want.

MOSS: That's good.

SHAPIRO: How do people end the thing?

MOSS: They end it all sorts of ways. The choreographer, Twyla Tharp, when she says, well, you just end it, the ending is another part, just like the middle, she says - love that.

SHAPIRO: Adam Moss is the author of the new book, "The Work Of Art: How Something Comes From Nothing." And you didn't hear this from me, but he's also a very talented painter.

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Write down your thoughts and shred them to relieve anger, researchers say

Writing negative reactions on paper and shredding it or scrunching and throwing in the bin eliminates angry feelings, study finds

Since time immemorial humans have tried to devise anger management techniques.

In ancient Rome, the Stoic philosopher Seneca believed “my anger is likely to do me more harm than your wrong” and offered avoidance tips in his AD45 work De Ira (On Anger).

More modern methods include a workout on the gym punchbag or exercise bike. But the humble paper shredder may be a more effective – and accessible – way to decompress, according to research.

A study in Japan has found that writing down your reaction to a negative incident on a piece of paper and then shredding it, or scrunching it into a ball and throwing it in the bin, gets rid of anger.

“We expected that our method would suppress anger to some extent,” said Nobuyuki Kawai, lead researcher of the study at Nagoya University. “However, we were amazed that anger was eliminated almost entirely.”

The study, published in Scientific Reports on Nature , builds on research on the association between the written word and anger reduction as well as studies showing how interactions with physical objects can control a person’s mood. For instance, those wanting revenge on an ex-partner may burn letters or destroy gifts.

Researchers believe the shredder results may be related to the phenomenon of “backward magical contagion”, which is the belief that actions taken on an object associated with a person can affect the individuals themselves. In this case, getting rid of the negative physical entity, the piece of paper, causes the original emotion to also disappear.

This is a reversal of “magical contagion” or “celebrity contagion” – the belief that the “essence” of an individual can be transferred through their physical possessions.

Fifty student participants were asked to write brief opinions about an important social problem, such as whether smoking in public should be outlawed. Evaluators then deliberately scored the papers low on intelligence, interest, friendliness, logic, and rationality. For good measure, evaluators added insulting comments such as: “I cannot believe an educated person would think like this. I hope this person learns something while at the university.”

The wound-up participants then wrote down their angry thoughts on the negative feedback on a piece of paper. One group was told to either roll up the paper and throw it in a bin or keep it in a file on their desk. A second group was told to shred the paper, or put it in a plastic box.

Anger levels of the individuals who discarded their paper in the bin or shredded it returned to their initial state, while those who retained a hard copy of the paper experienced only a small decrease in their overall anger.

Researchers concluded that “the meaning (interpretation) of disposal plays a critical role” in reducing anger.

“This technique could be applied in the moment by writing down the source of anger as if taking a memo and then throwing it away,” said Kawai.

Along with its practical benefits, this discovery may shed light on the origins of the Japanese cultural tradition known as hakidashisara ( hakidashi sara refers to a dish or plate) at the Hiyoshi shrine in Kiyosu, just outside Nagoya. Hakidashisara is an annual festival where people smash small discs representing things that make them angry. The study’s findings may explain the feeling of relief that participants report after leaving the festival, the paper concluded.

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‘Succession syndrome’ prevalent among wealthy households, psychiatrists warn

Drugs and alcohol do not make you more creative, research finds

Why being rude to the waiter (or other staff) is the worst strategy

Authors of original dating profiles rated more attractive, research finds

I fear my children are overexposed to technology. Experts say I’m right to worry

I used to be ashamed of being a fangirl. Now I see how joyous and creative it was

Autistic scholar Temple Grandin: ‘The education system is screening out visual thinkers’

Human neurons transplanted into rats to help study brain disorders

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AI Index Report

Welcome to the seventh edition of the AI Index report. The 2024 Index is our most comprehensive to date and arrives at an important moment when AI’s influence on society has never been more pronounced. This year, we have broadened our scope to more extensively cover essential trends such as technical advancements in AI, public perceptions of the technology, and the geopolitical dynamics surrounding its development. Featuring more original data than ever before, this edition introduces new estimates on AI training costs, detailed analyses of the responsible AI landscape, and an entirely new chapter dedicated to AI’s impact on science and medicine.

Read the 2024 AI Index Report

The AI Index report tracks, collates, distills, and visualizes data related to artificial intelligence (AI). Our mission is to provide unbiased, rigorously vetted, broadly sourced data in order for policymakers, researchers, executives, journalists, and the general public to develop a more thorough and nuanced understanding of the complex field of AI.

The AI Index is recognized globally as one of the most credible and authoritative sources for data and insights on artificial intelligence. Previous editions have been cited in major newspapers, including the The New York Times, Bloomberg, and The Guardian, have amassed hundreds of academic citations, and been referenced by high-level policymakers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, among other places. This year’s edition surpasses all previous ones in size, scale, and scope, reflecting the growing significance that AI is coming to hold in all of our lives.

Steering Committee Co-Directors

Ray Perrault

Steering committee members.

Erik Brynjolfsson

John Etchemendy

Katrina Ligett

Terah Lyons

James Manyika

Juan Carlos Niebles

Vanessa Parli

Yoav Shoham

Russell Wald

Staff members.

Loredana Fattorini

Nestor Maslej

Letter from the co-directors.

A decade ago, the best AI systems in the world were unable to classify objects in images at a human level. AI struggled with language comprehension and could not solve math problems. Today, AI systems routinely exceed human performance on standard benchmarks.

Progress accelerated in 2023. New state-of-the-art systems like GPT-4, Gemini, and Claude 3 are impressively multimodal: They can generate fluent text in dozens of languages, process audio, and even explain memes. As AI has improved, it has increasingly forced its way into our lives. Companies are racing to build AI-based products, and AI is increasingly being used by the general public. But current AI technology still has significant problems. It cannot reliably deal with facts, perform complex reasoning, or explain its conclusions.

AI faces two interrelated futures. First, technology continues to improve and is increasingly used, having major consequences for productivity and employment. It can be put to both good and bad uses. In the second future, the adoption of AI is constrained by the limitations of the technology. Regardless of which future unfolds, governments are increasingly concerned. They are stepping in to encourage the upside, such as funding university R&D and incentivizing private investment. Governments are also aiming to manage the potential downsides, such as impacts on employment, privacy concerns, misinformation, and intellectual property rights.

As AI rapidly evolves, the AI Index aims to help the AI community, policymakers, business leaders, journalists, and the general public navigate this complex landscape. It provides ongoing, objective snapshots tracking several key areas: technical progress in AI capabilities, the community and investments driving AI development and deployment, public opinion on current and potential future impacts, and policy measures taken to stimulate AI innovation while managing its risks and challenges. By comprehensively monitoring the AI ecosystem, the Index serves as an important resource for understanding this transformative technological force.

On the technical front, this year’s AI Index reports that the number of new large language models released worldwide in 2023 doubled over the previous year. Two-thirds were open-source, but the highest-performing models came from industry players with closed systems. Gemini Ultra became the first LLM to reach human-level performance on the Massive Multitask Language Understanding (MMLU) benchmark; performance on the benchmark has improved by 15 percentage points since last year. Additionally, GPT-4 achieved an impressive 0.97 mean win rate score on the comprehensive Holistic Evaluation of Language Models (HELM) benchmark, which includes MMLU among other evaluations.

Although global private investment in AI decreased for the second consecutive year, investment in generative AI skyrocketed. More Fortune 500 earnings calls mentioned AI than ever before, and new studies show that AI tangibly boosts worker productivity. On the policymaking front, global mentions of AI in legislative proceedings have never been higher. U.S. regulators passed more AI-related regulations in 2023 than ever before. Still, many expressed concerns about AI’s ability to generate deepfakes and impact elections. The public became more aware of AI, and studies suggest that they responded with nervousness.

Ray Perrault Co-director, AI Index

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