I’ll admit it. I’ve gone to gallery shows, bypassed the words and gone straight to the photographs without reading the artists statement. The pictures didn’t really tell me what was going on with the artwork. After reading the words the exhibit started to make sense.
Words are precise. Individuals can interpret what the image means to them in many different ways. Sometimes they will ascribe meanings to your photographs that are absolutely nowhere near what you originally set out to create. There are many classic optical illusions that make this point. Do you see a vase or two pretty women looking at each other or an animal that could be either a duck or a rabbit? When left to their own devices, your viewers may not see what you want them to see, or understand what you are doing.
This is why creating your artists statement helps in determining the success or failure of how well you communicate your message to your audience. Carefully chosen words tell the viewers what they need to know before they begin looking at your photographs. Misinterpretation is less likely if the introductory statements to projects are clearly written. Getting your viewers to read the statement before looking at your photographs is another problem.
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