In a nutshell, an artist’s biography is about instilling confidence. Image: Shutterstock.
Recently I participated in a bio writing workshop for artists, which was a bit like a career speed dating session – half hour slots to assess and review how artists had written their biographies.
It was not the skill level presented that surprised me, rather the confusion surrounding the task at hand. The majority of the artist bios were just abridged versions of their artist statements: ‘I am a painter inspired by…’ and ‘My work uses…’.
Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's Senior Contributor, after 12 years in the role as National Visual Arts Editor. She has worked for extended periods in America and Southeast Asia, as gallerist, arts administrator and regional contributing editor for a number of magazines, including Hong Kong based Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. She is an Art Tour leader for the AGNSW Members, and lectures regularly on the state of the arts. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW.
Instagram: fairleygina
