Write in plain English: a tip for art galleries

Posted on May 20, 2011 by Gary Chow | No Comments » | Trackback URL

George Costanza to Jerry Seinfeld:

“ I don’t get art. It always has to be explained to me and then I have to have someone explain the explanation…”

I empathise with George. I feel the same when I go to an art gallery and read the plaque next to the artwork. What are they going on about? In major exhibitions, some galleries put a children’s version of the description and I often find that version more comprehensible.

Same with reviews of art exhibitions, art catalogues and art books. I find most of these tedious, long-winded, deeply earnest and some are near impenetrable. After reading a page, my eyes glaze over and my mind wanders.

The thing is: I love art; I’ve been a collector for many years and figure I know a thing or two.

So how can arty-types write in a more accessible way? The answer is to write in plain English. If you’re not sure how to write in plain English, download these free plain English writing guides (PDF) from the UK-based Plain English Campaign website.

The first rule of plain English is that you must write to your target audience. Here are key questions before you set pen to paper:

• Who is my audience?
• How much do they know about the topic?
• What are they familiar with?
• Would they understand the jargon and technical terms I use?

If curators and art critics were more mindful of the above questions and wrote with the viewing public in mind, I am sure it will go some ways to making art more accessible to everyone and not just art connoisseurs.