Practice

What is Practice?

Practice relates to artmaking, critical and historical studies of art. Practice is described as:

artistic activity of artists
what artists know and do, how they know it, where they do it, with whom and for whom they do it and why they do it.
the knowledge of what is happening- intentional, informed and appropriate human action involving deliberate and strategic decisions.
artistic outcomes that are fluid, unexpected, involving an element of risk not a fixed, inert or a predetermined role or model

Essentially...

Practice is what an artist thinks, plans, does and is a part of.

Contemporary practice encompasses many different rules, strategies and activities, habits, skills, decisions and instincts. These aspects of practice make up the individual practitioner's knowledge of the field.

Practice with a 'c'

Practice is different to practise. When spelt with an 's' it is a verb that means to repeat in order to improve, as opposed to when it is spelt with a 'c' which is an abstract noun which refers to the application of an idea, belief or method.

Practitioners

There are many different people that have an influence the art world. They all have individual practices, some of which are outlined below:

Artist

Makes artworks
Plans, researches and prepares for an artwork
Experiments with materials
Collaborates
Communicates meaning
Presents work

Art Critic

Views art
Makes judgements about art
Writes reviews and editorials that offer an opinion
Critically analyses artworks and artists

Art Historian

Writes historical accounts of art
Researches art using a number of sources
Places artists and artworks into historical context

Curator

Selects and displays artworks in a gallery
Makes decisions about the theme and layout of an exhibition
Creates a narrative for the audience viewing the art

Collector

Buys artworks, often at auction
Seeks out art according to their taste
Predicts the future value of an artist's work

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