In ‘How to Write About Art’ students will be introduced to the various kinds of writing that co-exist in the artworld: from experimental to commercial, from art criticism, ‘think pieces’, catalogue essays, magazine and newspaper journalism, to press releases and books. Students will learn to identify who their audience is and what kind of art writer they want to be; how to shape an argument and translate a work of art into a language that is clear, engaging and original. They will receive my advice on how to make a living as a professional writer: from pitching an idea to a publication to working with an editor and promoting their work via social media. Over the course of the week, students will develop short pieces of writing, both individually and in groups. We will also put together a list of suggested reading that each student will contribute to.
I will be imparting the knowledge I have accrued over my 25-year career as staff writer and editor-in-chief of frieze magazine, and now full-time art writer – the things I wished someone had told me when I was setting out. The class will be rigorous but friendly; I will be shaping its direction, while encouraging organic discussion and questions. I am passionate about the role of writing in relation to art and will urge students – in whatever direction they want to go – to respond to artworks with an equivalent imaginative flourish.
Information
- Venue
- Hohensalzburg Fortress / online (hybrid)
- Date
- 15. – 27. 8. 22
- What to bring
- Laptop /tablet, paper and pen.
- Teaching language
- English and German
- Co-teacher
- Sandro D. Huber
Jennifer Higgie
Jennifer Higgie “I have had a 25-year career as a writer: as editor-in-chief of frieze magazine and, more recently, the editor of The Annual,published by the National Gallery of Australia. I am now a full-time writer who has published books, written for numerous magazines, newspapers and artist’s catalogues and hosted a podcast; I also write screenplays. I am passionate about the role of writing in relation to art and will urge students – in whatever direction they want to go – to respond to artworks with an equivalent imaginative flourish.”
Website
Publications
The Other Side: A Journey into Women, Art and the Spirit World, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2023.
“Containers for My Feelings: Judy Chicago and Abstraction”, essay for the catalogue accompanying the Judy Chicago retrospective at the New Museum, New York, USA, late 2023.
“60 Thoughts on Thin Skin”, essay for the catalogue accompanying the show of 35 painters titled Thin Skin that I have curated for the Monash University Museum of Art, Melbourne, Australia, July 2023.
“Disobedient Objects: Recent work by Lubna Chowdhary”, essay for a monograph published on the work of Lubna Chowdhary for the Middlesborough Institute of Modern Art, 2023.
The Mirror and the Palette: Rebellion, Revolution and Resistance, 500 Years of Women’s Self-portraits, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2021.
