Sunday, November 18, 2012

THE ARTIST'S STATEMENT

Yes, I wrote one. I feel dirty. Was it truthful. I don't really know. I feel like it sort of leaves me vulnerable to everyone knowing too much about me, like I'm standing naked in front of everyone giving a speech. Now I'm doing the same damn thing again, except in a blog.

We as artists are supposed to have résumé's at the ready, not only our regular work résumé's, (yes, there are two thingy's about the e's) but, we also need an artist's résumé, which describes what shows we were in, anything we were published in, any lectures we gave anyone we studied under or artist's retreat we went to. THEN, we also need to have an artist's statement which is the dreaded thing I had to do tonight. It describes everything you are, who, what, why, how, where, when, anything else you can think of about your work and you, without your saying "Me, I, I'm trying to, I wanted to, I'm hoping I" and to top it off, this one was supposed to encompass my life's work, only show 3 items and describe who I am and what I'm trying to accomplish.  WHAT?!?! So, I took a stiff drink, aaaaannnd, started writing.

I don't do this for just anyone mind you.

I'm so desperate to get out of increasingly dark and cold deer hunter's delight, Wisconsin, that I want to do whatever it takes by writing this piece to enter what I call the artist's lotto to Mexico. An all expenses paid trip to do an artist's residency for a full month in the cold of winter here to sunny and hopefully a drug cartel-free Mexico. I just want out of here in the winter.

I'll work my butt off down there as an artist like I do here, I just need to get to a place that would let me be myself, spread out, do my thing and not make me write another artist's statement or perform other acts of vulnerability to be able to stay there for the whole month. I have a feeling though, that's the deal with the devil that has to be made.

Okay, I'll write. I'll do whatever. Please let me go down there!! I can't handle winter up here.