Showing your artwork to someone and hoping they just get it usually doesn’t happen. Most of the time, art needs some explanation for people to fully understand the message the artist wants to convey. So do artists need to explain their art? And what about art that cannot be explained? These are the topics we are going to talk about in this blog post. Stick around to learn more!
Do you also wish you could hold your artwork up to someone and they would just get it – without you having to say anything? That would be just perfect, but unfortunately in reality that’s most rarely the case.
In most cases, art requires some sort of explanation to allow the viewer to understand and appreciate your work more deeply.
Art is a form of self-expression that artists use to communicate and connect with others. But by just showing your pieces to your audience, they won’t be able to fully grasp the message you want to convey through your art in all its details.
Some of the most common questions fans and collectors will ask about your art are, for example: what inspired you to create this artwork? Does it have a message? What thoughts and emotions went into this piece?
Explaining your art to others may be challenging. There’s a reason why artists chose to express themselves visually in the first place. However, if you want to make sure that people understand your work, there is no way around explaining your art with a few spoken or written words.
Still, not everyone will understand your art the way you intended. There might also be art that cannot really be explained. So should an artist explain their art at all? This is what we are going to delve into in this blog post.
There is no right or wrong answer to whether artists need to explain their art. However, there are some advantages and disadvantages to either option, and that’s exactly our topic today. So let’s get into it!
Should an artist explain their art?
If someone told you that an artist should explain their art, the first question that comes to mind would perhaps be: if an artist wanted to express themselves in words, wouldn’t they have chosen to be a writer instead?
Fair question. In our day and age, we might get the impression that we, as artists, should talk about our art because it’s part of promoting our work and building our artist brand.
But what if an artist doesn’t feel comfortable talking about their artwork? Should they still explain their art?
Many artists started out creating visual art because it provides them with an opportunity to communicate with the world – without using language. What if an artist makes abstract art that cannot be explained? Should they still set out to explain their work?
I don't believe in the premise that every artist should explain their art, especially if they don't feel comfortable doing so.
Not every artist is a gifted speaker who is able to talk about their art in a silver-tongued and preferably magnetic way. An explanation should never be a criterion to make an artwork more valuable.
On the flipside, this art-explanation-hype as a marketing strategy has spawned lots of wanna-be artists who create something, and then, with the wisdom of hindsight, come up with some story to make people believe that their art has a deeper meaning.
Nevertheless, explaining your art is not categorically bad. It can help artists put their work into context and help viewers connect with the artwork, especially if it has a message to convey.
Does art need to have a message?
The short answer is, no. Art does not need to have a message.
However, oftentimes art does have a message because the artist’s intent was to convey something through their artwork. In many cases, the message is what inspired the artist to make the work.
The message can be an emotion, a feeling, an experience, or their unique way of seeing the world. In a nutshell, the artist means to tell a story through their work.
Storytelling makes artwork very effective because it helps create a connection between the audience and the work. Viewers can better relate to the work because we all share similar experiences and feelings.
But that doesn’t mean that the viewer will understand your message and intent just by seeing your work. As a matter of fact, the viewer’s viewpoint is subjective and depends on their cultural background, personal experiences, and taste in art.
All these factors influence how the viewer interprets the artwork. That means two viewers might interpret the same artwork in two completely different ways. And that is totally okay because there is no right or wrong way of looking at an artwork. In fact, there are as many outlooks on artwork as there are viewers.
That’s why artists need to explain their art if they want to be sure that the viewer sees their original intent of creating the work.
What about art that cannot be explained?
As I already mentioned earlier, there are artists who might create art they believe cannot be explained. If you don’t want to explain your art, you don’t have to. It is always your personal choice.
But I am sure that your fans and followers will want to know more about your work. Some of the most common questions people have are listed below. If it feels good to you, you can describe your art by answering some of these questions:
- What inspired you to create this work?
- What do you see in this artwork yourself?
- How did you feel when you created the work?
- How do you feel about the work now?
- How long did it take you to complete it?
- What tools did you use?
- What is your favorite part of the piece?
- Why did you use that particular style of art?
- What is the historical and personal context of this artwork?
- What does the title mean?
- Does the artwork say anything about your culture or the society you live in?
So do artists need to explain their art?
At the end of the day, what’s the point of explaining your art? Take a moment to put yourself in the shoes of your viewers. They already like your art enough to hang around on social media and art sharing sites to follow you and read the captions below your posts. They only want one thing: learn more about your work.
By explaining your art, you can help them get a deeper understanding of your work. Artists explaining their work gain a number of advantages:
- From a conceptual point of view, your audience can better understand your inspiration and motivation to create the artwork. They get a feeling for the significance of the work and how it relates to the other pieces within your body of work.
- From a technical point of view, you can let people know what tools and techniques you used to make the artwork. You can give them insights into your creative process and point to specific elements in the creation.
- From an interpersonal point of view, people will be better able to relate to your work if they understand the story you want to convey through your work. Stories bring people closer together, and understanding your message will also bring them closer to your art.
- From a financial point of view, you will be able to increase your sales because collectors are more interested in buying art they understand. They don’t want to be left guessing. They want to know what the art means they hang in their homes.
Sounds like a lot to write?
No, you don’t need to write super-long monologues to entice your viewers. Keep it short and simple. Make sure the readers get all the information they need, but don’t overwhelm them with unnecessary details. Those who want to know more will ask anyways!
How do you describe art?
When you describe your art, you can speak about your art in general, about individual pieces, or about art series you’ve created.
Describing your art is pretty easy. Try putting yourself in your viewers’ shoes and answer their questions. Explain the context and the relevance of your work, speak about your inspirations, intentions, and emotions.
Artists explaining their work must find a way to effectively communicate those things to the viewers they need to know for a better understanding of the artwork.
If you still find it a bit hard to speak about your art, here are three steps for you to follow:
3 Steps to explain your artwork
STEP #1: Provide context.
First of all, try to provide context for your work. For example, you can speak about what inspired you to create the piece, why you chose the title, and what techniques and tools you used. If it is a series, you can mention the other artworks belonging to it.
STEP #2: Share your story.
Next, share the story behind the piece. What is the message you wanted to convey? Is it a feeling, an experience you had, or your view on things going on in your community? You can point to specific visual elements you incorporated into the artwork to get across what you intended to express.
STEP #3: Show your creative process.
People are curious about the creative process of an artist. They want to know what is happening behind the scenes. That’s why I suggest providing insights into your creative process. Offer your audience work in progress shots or timelapse videos showing how you put the creation together.
By taking the time to explain your art, you can help others see your work in a new light. But keep in mind that just because you explained your art doesn’t mean that people always understand it exactly the way you intended. Art is subjective, and everyone may interpret it differently.
That is what makes art so amazing! And that’s why I recommend encouraging your audience to share their opinions and feelings about your artwork. It is always interesting for the artist to see how their work is received and how it affects their viewers.
Art is supposed to be free. Artists can express themselves freely through their art, and the viewers can articulate their thoughts and impressions freely!
To get an idea of how you can explain your artwork, you can have a look at some examples of how I describe my creations:
I finally got my art blog up and running. It’s interesting that as an experienced writer, I can usually knock out blog posts on just about anything and anyone else’s art, but writing about *my* art felt incredibly intimate and required some breathwork. Thanks for this!
Speaking about one’s own art always feels a bit awkward at the beginning. It was the same for me!
But if you stick to it, it will quickly become easier and you’ll be having fun with it!