Useful hints for artist talks

[option 1]
Online Events include a selection of Cultural Theory and Artist Talks, Symposia, Sound & Performance.:
http://www.tate.org.uk/onlineevents/archive/
Gilbert&George/Tacita Dean/Susan Hiller/Bill Viola/Rachel Whitebread
Aslem Kiefer ...
[option 2]
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR PUBLIC APPEARANCES
http://www.artbusiness.com/appearpub.htm
The good news is that any artist can overcome difficulties and make the most of their public appearances. All that's necessary are three basic ingredients: A brief scripted talk, a committment to make yourself accessible, and a video showing you and your art.

Your Talk

Your goal is to connect with people by telling them who you are, describing your art, and answering their questions. Here are several tips on how to script and deliver an effective talk:

* Begin by writing down everything you can about your career and your art. Free associate and don't bother wity organization, grammar or spelling. You want to get as many ideas down on paper as possible.

* When you have enough material, separate out those statements that best characterize you and your art. These should include brief background information, why your art is significant, where your ideas originate, and how you incorporate them into your work. Keep in mind that many people who attend art openings enjoy the art but know little or nothing about the artists. .

* Keep explanations simple, avoid controversial issues, and convey ideas within positive frameworks.

* Even though your art may contain negative or disturbing images, portray them as representing positive end results. You can do this without deceiving, misrepresenting, or otherwise feeling that you're compromising your values by focusing on how they point toward what people want, would like to have, or one day will have rather than what must be sacrificed in the process. Say, for example, that "My art looks towards a world where everyone conserves energy and shares our natural wealth" rather than "My art is about greed, overconsumption, and the destruction of corporate capitalism."

* Convey to people that your art has meaning on a variety of levels. In addition to its visual appeal, for example, it might also speak to a greater mission, life experience, or ideal. You want collectors to feel that they're getting more than home or office decorations when they buy your art.

* Don't try to sell your art or pressure people into buying it. Sales activities should take place one-on-one and preferably through gallery personnel.

* Keep your talk to five minutes or less with an additional few minutes for questions. Keep your entire presentation to under ten minutes in order to avoid boring people or losing their attention.

* Practice your talk alone, in front of the mirror, with friends and acquaintances, and under whatever other circumstances are necessary for you to memorize and feel comfortable delivering it.

* Practice answering questions that people consistently ask you about your art. Keep answers positive by returning to the same themes that you touch upon in your talk.

* When you're speaking, take no more than four to six questions from the audience. A good target range per answer is about thirty seconds (watch live television interviews and you'll see that longer answers tend to lose viewers' attention). Answer additional questions and address more complex topics one-on-one.

* Even though the great majority of questions and feedback are positive, prepare several damage control type responses that diffuse or deflect those infrequent negative encounters.

* The best time to give your talk is during the early second half of an opening or event. This gives people plenty of time to look around, acclimate themselves, socialize, have a glass of wine, and enjoy your art.

Making Yourself Accessible

How you act at your openings and how available you make yourself are just as important as what you say in your talk. Always arrive early and be on the floor right from the start. Continually circulate and keep interractions brief so that everyone who wants to meet you gets their chance. If someone tries to monopolize you, politely excuse yourself after a minute or two.

Make every effort to fulfill modest requests such as signing gallery invitations or catalogues, letting people have their pictures taken with you, and inscribing sold art when buyers request it. If collectors bring in old books, catalogues, or invitations that mention your name and ask you to sign them, do it. A few people will always try to take advantage of your generosity, but the overall goodwill that results from these acts will far outweigh the occasional negatives.

Additional suggestions:

* Keep a sketch pad on hand and present occasional quick drawings to children.

* Approach people who appear to be studying or discussing your art and volunteer to explain it or answer any questions.

* Create your own logo or trademark and add it to your signature like Warhol did with his soup can. Make it something you become known for. Make it something that anyone can instantly identify as having come from you.

Your Video

Putting yourself on television always adds credibility to your art as well as to your reputation. A ten to twenty minute video showing you making art, doing special appearances, receiving awards, being the center of attention at crowded openings, visiting unusual places, meeting interesting people, and having you or others speak about your art is a terrific public relations tool. Follow the same basic guidelines you use when putting together your talk and you'll have a finished product that attracts people to you and your work.

Professionally produced videos can cost thousands of dollars, of course, but no matter what your budget, you can get the job done. If you have little or no money, borrow a friend's video camera, put it on a tripod, and photograph yourself working on a piece of art while explaining what you're doing. Have a friend follow you around your studio filming you while you talk about yourself and your art.

At each of your openings, set up several comfortable chairs or couches in a quiet location and have your video play repeatedly. It'll work like a continuous talk and give people who don't get a chance to speak with you or those who are too shy to approach you an opportunity to get to know who you are. It may turn out to be just what certain collectors need to make that leap from really liking your art to actually owning it.