Artist’s CVs, Statements And Biographies.

Differences between a statement and biog : A statement is written in the first person; A statement is about your work, the content and how your ideas manifest; A statement is subjective; A biog. is written in the third person; A biog. is factual; A biog. Consists of the highlights from your CV.

Statement : Avoid elaborate language. Don’t dumb it down but say what you mean simply; Be concise; Refer to the medium/media you use; Disucss the ideas behind your work; Be personal but not self-indulgent; Refer to general influences but don’t make lists of artists’ names; Use a dictionary and thesaurus; ALWAYS get at least one person to proof read it; Be honest and don’t try to sound clever.

Some useful phrases for a statement: I am currently exploring/investigating/examining… Recently I have been concerned with how… My work is informed/influenced/inspired by… My intention is to… … is a recurring theme within my practice;

Statement example : KM I work within a documentary mode creating both single and multi-channel video work. I am interested in how documentary, in its many forms, surrounds and influences us. The codes and conventions of documentary film, photography and television all intersect in my work. Through the investigation of these documentary attributes, I examine the role of the subject, the camera, the director, the installation and the viewer. The installation plays an important part in the realisation of my work - the placement of monitors, screens, projections and sound allows my viewer to interact and play a role in the work. This multi-textual approach fixes on people in my life. In the last three years I have adopted the use of multiple, synchronised cameras to observe and capture my subjects. The synchronised cameras represent different modes of documentary, from traditional documentary filmmaking to one of its contemporary modes, reality TV. These modes exist simultaneously, recording the same sequence of events that in turn represent both fact and fiction in the one work. As the director, I always control one of these cameras and the other is controlled by my subject who becomes the director of his or her camera.

Biography : Where you live and work; Brief educational background; Prestigious exhibitions; Selected acquisitions, commissions and residencies; Impressive awards and bursaries.

Some useful phrases for a biog: … graduated with… from… … is the recipient of… … is currently undertaking… His/her most recent solo exhibition… … has exhibted widely in… Commissions and residencies include…

Biography example : Simon Periton Simon Periton was born in England in 1964 and studied at Central St Martin’s School of Art, London. He has exhibited widely in Britain and internationally. Solo shows include Mint Poisoner, Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, Periton’s work has been included in prominent group shows including Wunschwelten, Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt, Germany, 2007, and the 2007 and 2004 Summer Exhibitions at the Royal Academy, London. Commissions include public sculpture projects for firstsite, Colchester, Essex, Channel Four, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. A monograph of his work was published in 2008 by Koenig Books Ltd and Sadie Coles HQ. Simon Periton lives and works in London.

CV Dos : Have more than one type of CV e.g. art, education, job; Keep the design and layout very simple. Avoid elaborate fonts or designs; Use black ink only – CVs are often photocopied; Tailor your CV for the opportunity. Read the guidelines VERY carefully for whatever opportunity you are applying for, and include only relevant information. For example, if you are applying for a residency, include the other residencies you have done, or funding you have received to take part in residencies, or references from people who run residencies, etc. Use reverse chronological order with dated lists of your experience; Keep your CV and the information you send concise and relevant; Include future exhibitions/residencies in they are confirmed; Include references available on request - relevant ones.

CV Don’ts : Include unnecessary information irrelevant to the application; Include information on school qualifications. Only higher or further qualifications need be include - do include short courses you have done if relevant – for example, Final Cut Pro training if you are applying for a new media residency. Make your CV longer than it needs to be. It is not more impressive to have a long CV, particularly if you are just starting out. Aim for 2 sides of A4 at the most. Squash everything together. Think about composition and layout, and make sure it is easy to read; Staple pages together as your CV may be photocopied. Use paper clips.