My Artistic Practice (And How To Define Yours)
How would you characterize your artistic practice?
As artists, it can be tough to explain the meaning of our art and how we create. I was at a loss when I first began to examine what my artistic routine encompasses. Unsure of what an artistic practice was or how to describe my own as an emerging artist. When reading about it, I kept seeing these words repeated: influence, idea, material, and skill.
Artistic Practice / action /
The term refers to the way an artist approaches their work. Artistic practice extends beyond the physical activities of making artistic products and can include influences, ideas, materials as well as tools and skills.
Artistic practice extends beyond creating the piece and encompasses reasoning and the formation of the final product. It includes looking at what inspires you, how you operate, and how you develop projects. Partially a process of self-discovery through your art, it is a journey of exploration, and examining themes, influences, and connections within your artwork. This knowledge is needed to help you understand and describe your artistic practice. That is how I developed mine and how I will help you prepare yours.
As an artist, I am fascinated by connections. In my practice, I use the body metaphorically within spaces with environmental portraiture and portraiture. I find using a figure creates stronger emotions within the image. When no figure is present, I rely on space to add atmosphere and tone to support the rest of the photographs. I create layers and incorporate symbols that connect to my portraits, which are often more forward in their messaging. Together, the images convey the story I want to share.
When I begin a project, I write words and sketches in a journal to help describe what I intend to create. Once I've put down some ideas, I search for artists and literature to help me get inspired. When I worked on my senior thesis at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, I looked a lot at Justine Kurland and the Instagram account @xfilesphotos, featuring many dystopian, otherworldly photographs, as inspiration. Researching how other artists break down ideas allows me to think about ways I might do the same. Throughout my whole process, I use the journal to keep track of my ideas.
After I brainstorm, I start to create. Some of my photographs are the result of planning everything out. However, I usually make the majority of my pictures from a general idea in my head. I find a natural landscape and walk around until I see something that matches what I want. I often stumble across creative ideas and inspiration when walking in nature. It is the most meaningful part of my work. My natural surroundings inspire me to be imaginative. It is where I do my most creative work and feel most comfortable.
The most critical tool I use in my artistic practice is my 4x5 large format view camera. Though I also use other film and digital cameras (like my Sony a7rii and Pentax 35mm point and shoot), this is my go-to when working on a photographic project. It gives me a larger image size and more control over focus. The color negative also offers more tonality.
Though one can argue that there is comparable quality to some full-frame or medium-format digital cameras, this camera appeals to me primarily because of its movements and how it sees. The ground glass (viewfinder) shows an inverted image, meaning my way of looking through the camera differs from my natural way of seeing. It forces me to pay attention to the composition and be aware of how I set up the image. I look for engaging light, lines, and patterns.
This camera makes me more thoughtful when taking photographs. Large format color film costs about $6 a sheet, so I take my time to get the image in one shot. Sometimes mistakes happen, but the end result is usually better than I imagined. With digital cameras, I can capture as many photographs as I want of the same composition. But with my large format camera, I only have one or two chances before I start to waste film. With this film camera, I am able to avoid overworking my images. It also ensures that I am taking photographs I am really interested in and not mindlessly taking photos.
Due to the nature of film photography, I cannot see the final results until the film has been developed and scanned. This process allows me to separate myself from the image and give it space before I judge it. In many ways, I have incorporated this practice into my digital photo-making. I now make photographs much slower. Studying the composition before taking a photo ensures a clear idea of what I want to capture.
Beyond creative photography, I have also regained a passion for painting and video. I am still trying to figure out how to work in these mediums, but I hope to connect them with my photographic work. Including painting and video will enhance my practice and allow me to create more immersive and dynamic projects. Including them will partly disrupt and change my artistic practice, but that is the beauty of it. Your practice is constantly evolving and changing, shaped by your surroundings, interests, and day-to-day life. The key is to continue cultivating it and never let it stay still. If you are not growing as an artist, you may not be pushing yourself to your maximum capacity.
Defining your artistic practice can help you to understand your art and why you make it. What I described in my own practice above covers many of the topics you should look into if you want to explain your own practice. Using the questions below can help you articulate what you want to say and think about your art-making more clearly. Look over them and write down the first word/sentence that comes to mind.
What inspires me to create?
What do I usually do to get started on a piece or project?
How do I come up with original ideas? Does it come from current events, personal thoughts, or experiences?
What is my medium of choice? Am I exploring other types?
How would I describe the work I create?
How is it evolving?
Don’t overthink this process. Writing something poorly is better than not being able to put any words down. You can always refine and correct later. By answering these questions, you can jumpstart the articulation of your artistic process, helping you identify what is working and how to keep it up. It takes exploring deep into yourself. As you come to understand your practice more, you will grow as an artist and be able to achieve all your artistic goals.
What I use in my practice (mentioned above):
This blog is fully written and run by photographer Caterina Maina. If you like what you read, please leave a comment, like, and/or share it on your social media! Follow @4x5junkie on Instagram!
And if you have any questions, suggestions on topics, or an interesting exhibition Caterina should check out please feel free to leave them in the comments or email her at caterinamainaphotography@gmail.com!
Some of the links in this article will direct users to our affiliates at Blick, Amazon, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Red River Catalog. By purchasing anything using these links, Caterina may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. This helps her produce content and continue her creative endeavors. Many thanks for your support. She will never share or promote something she does not 100% recommend. And if you want to support in any other way you can click on the button below! <3
