Sample Artist Statement
Example #1 explaining all of her bodies of work
Kathleen Bitetti
Artist Statement & Explanation of Bodies of work
Since the early 1990s, my work has involved the creation of conceptually based sociopolitical
objects and installations. In 1992 I began stenciling text by hand onto objects. Hand stenciled
text/language has now become a very prominent feature in my work and I continue to use the
same stencil and medium (graphite) that I used in 1992. In my work, I deconstruct the American
dream, fairy tales, nursery rhymes, and lullabies that are part of our childhood and adult culture.
My work also addresses gender roles/gender assignment, the fragility of family dynamics,
domestic violence and the underlying threads of violence and danger that underpin American
society. Often times these themes are combined into installations that feature mundane domestic
objects, painted pure white and are often embellished with stenciled text. The color white
establishes a dream-like surreal quality, suggests notions of purity and safety, and formally
unifies the disparate objects in each installation. The texts provide clues to content and
interpretation. My "conceptual sculpture weds minimal form with maximal content" (Shawn
Hill, "BayWindows" Nov. 14 96 p27).
I usually work on several bodies of work concurrently. I also create site specific temporary
installations for indoor sites (I have in the past created temporary outdoor site specific work as
well). I often rework a site specific installation into a self contained format that will enable the
piece to be shown in a non site specific installation format/ environment. And often times
elements from my sculptures, installations, and non site specific work are utilized in my site
specific installations. In other words, the various bodies of work inform or cross pollinate each
other.
The six specific bodies of work that I am working on concurrently:
"Weary Heads"- a series of ten life size beds. I began the series in late 1994. These beds are
beautiful objects, but they are also very dangerous. Both stenciled text/language and pillows with
text are prominent elements in the series. These works transform an object, that usually provides
comfort, into one that has nightmare qualities.
"Forever Hold Your Peace" In 1992, I began this series of 11 large sculptural components that
attempt to reveal the life of a person who is in a battering/ abusive environment. The majority of
contemporary art work addressing domestic violence does not show the whole picture of what it
is like to live with such violence on a daily basis, nor does it demonstrate the long time line of
domestic violence. It is the goal of my work to more fully represent the long nightmare of
domestic violence and to show the underlying thread of violence/danger that underlies such
relationships.
Lullabies & Fairy Tales are other areas that I am investigating. Several of my works focus on
deconstructing these forms of "childhood" entertainment (these themes also make appearances in
the other bodies of work).
Resume Templates 1210 Document(s)
