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Is an artist’s signing of his/her name on their art work an autograph or a signature?  What’s the difference?   Why is it important that an artist leave a mark?  How does this mark, artistic in its own right, compliment a particular type of art?  

First, before I go any further, I want to clarify that this blog will not be about interpreting an artist’s mark with a particular personality type; but rather answering the questions of why an artist marks their name on their art, in the first place, and what some these marks look like which belong to artists in Gallery Moab. I am not knowledgeable in analyzing marks.  Nor do I dare try interpreting the personalities of the artists in Gallery Moab of which I am a part. That sounds dangerous to me. Obviously. 

I think artists autograph art work instead of signing it.  It is a unique type of mark in the artists own handwriting which identifies and connects them to their work.  Signatures, on the other hand, are usually used to sign legal documents.  Signatures are more permanent in that they do not, or should not, change over time. Artists’ autographs, however, may change according to how their work evolves or changes in style or content.  This is quite permissible and expected. But generally artists’ autographs will remain steadfast in their appearance.  Often one thinks of an autograph as a mark of a celebrity.  ALL artists are celebrities!  Right? 

Why are marks used in the first place?  In much earlier times, an individual piece of art was created by multiple hands. And so autographs were unlikely to be used.  But then came a time when one piece of art was created by one artist.  It became important to recognize the sole artist by his/her mark.  

I perused the marks of the artists in Gallery Moab and discovered a wide array of autographs.  Some use their full name; others an initial and name; and still others only initials.

Some are names or initials written in basic block letters. Others use graceful lines. The names of some autographs can be deciphered, while others defy deciphering. 

Autographs need to compliment the art work and not detract from the art work.

Some are works of art, in themselves.                     

 THE ARTISTS

Helen Becker