The Artist Statement as a Genre: Move Analysis with Pedagogical Aims

Abstract

Despite the vital role the artist statement plays within the art community, very little research has been done on its rhetorical organization and many artists face challenges when they are required to write one. The present study involves move analysis of a corpus of 69 artist statements written in English by professional visual artists with the aim to determine the  move structures, dominant moves, move patterns and communicative purposes. The findings reveal five recurrent moves which were developed by the researcher. They include providing a self-definition, revealing the basis for creating art, explaining work process and techniques, explaining about one’s work, and making a connection with viewers. The findings are presented in detail and genre-based teaching implications are largely discussed in this article.