how do YOU define "artist"?

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   stclairjackposted 13 years ago

   what makes some one an artist? wether in graphic arts, crafts, street performance, music,.. the genere are endless,... what makes some one an artist? as oposed to just another person with a particular skill set.

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      Marzimeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      ART= A RARE TALENT

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      BrightMeadowposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Let's not over romanticize this.  In the simplest definition an artist is a creative person who attempts, through whatever medium, to express his or her vantage point of the world.  A GOOD artist manages to express their vantage point of the world in such a way as to enable others to understand and hopefully relate to it.

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         stclairjackposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         agreed, not only does the artist see things differently, but the artist makes it possible for others to see things differenlty as well,... yes.

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2. 71

   Cagsilposted 13 years ago

   The entire category of "art" is subjective to each person's individual idea of the word itself.
   
   Therefore, I personally have no definition for it, because I have not interest in it.

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      stclairjackposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      no offence, but i cant imagine having no interest in art.
      
      none man? none what so ever? never even looked at an issue of playboy/ playgirl,... i mean, they've been trying to bill that as art for years,...
      
      at least art is a good excuse for what ever we want to look at! ha!

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      1. 71

         Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Yes, they have been attempting to display Playboy as art. However, even Hefner himself said that it isn't art, because they use photography software to edit the pictures and take out things that normally make women appear different than what Playboy is attempting to do.
         
         However, IF you're going to put Playboy into the mix, then I would have to say, okay, because I have a collection of 20+ years in my room.
         
         Other than that, then no.

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            stclairjackposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            one mans art is another mans,... well you know.
            
            ruebens painted naked fat girls all the time, and he was brilliant, right? ha!

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               Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               This matches what I originally said.
               HA! HA! NOT!

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3. 60

   Monisajdaposted 13 years ago

   To me an artist is someone who touches my soul. He or she is capable of making me breathless or crying out of awe and inspired. Very often it is someone who is also unique.

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      stclairjackposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      unique is a good descriptive,.... i always got called crazy, cause i wasnt rich enough to be eccentric.

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         DaNoblestposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         LOL! Thats great!

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         BrightMeadowposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Right On!

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4. 92

   cat on a soapboxposted 13 years ago

   There is a difference between the question "what is art?" and "what is an artist?"  An artist really is someone who demonstrates creativity in the things that one does. Art is any medium that evokes a reaction whether good or bad. Personally, I think art should be beautiful regardless of the artist's interpretaion of the subject. However,art today, especially contemporary art, has looser parameters.

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5. 61

   heart4thewordposted 13 years ago

   I think what makes an artist, is one who can express  from the heart...their feelings through art!

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      Castlepalomaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I have 172 internationa artist awards, it means, I am a good competitor anyways and unique is great selling point.
      
      I like Monisajda thoughts where an artist is someone who touches my soul.
      
      I think good art is spiritual, self express from your intimate soul and make it all a practice, A common thread for a great artist is an investment of over 10,000 hours of art work.
      
      Even Casgil has a little degree of artist in him.

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6. 61

   heart4thewordposted 13 years ago

   Castlepaloma, Wow that is something...an international artist!  I never kept track myself of how many hours I've put into art?  That would be interesting to replay the time spent on art, to reallly know the total hours?  How did you keep track?

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      Castlepalomaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I worked for 36 years for about 60 hour weeks for a total of about 50,000 hours. If an artist could manage to work fulltime on his artwork for about a decade, it is highly likely he will be a great artist

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         recommend1posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I don't think so.  Time served should bring with it good technique and an understanding of the specific art forms created - but it is still within the limits of that person's understanding and 'learning'.  Art is first a 'thing' as Wittgenstein (I think it was) said - but it is a thing that is a form of communication, it is in fact a meta-language, and what it communicates is what makes it art, if what is said is not special in some way then it is just decoration.
         
         This does not mean that time served artists like yourself are not producing great art, that would depend on whether it communicates.

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            Castlepalomaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            I have trained and coach a lot of artist. The practice is the most common thread to an artist success, it's not everything.
            
            Show me a self proclaim artist who has paid all his bills just through his art work for 10 years, and I will show you an artist

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               recommend1posted 13 years agoin reply to this

               I am not suggesting that you are not an artist in any way, only your art can tell anyone that.
               
               BUT If you are suggesting that artists are those who earn money from their art then I would have to disagree.
               
               I am a poet, trained to some extent through my creative writing degree and published and rated by some of my peers as 'a poet' - but I have earned tiny sums of money compared to a girl on the same course as me who writes greeting card rhymes.  Even she does not think what she does is art.

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                  kirstenblogposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  Isn't it Van Gogh who died penniless and unappreciated? I think his art is some of the finest ever. I prefer it to the church commissioned art.

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                     recommend1posted 13 years agoin reply to this

                     Many of the 'great' artists never made money at it, Van Gogh I think it was swapped one of his most famous paintings for beer at his local pub.
                     
                     It is almost impossible to define what art is, much easier to define what it isn't

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                        Castlepalomaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                        What I am saying, it is the practice is the most common thread of proof you are an artist, how to do you become good or great Artist or become good at anything without the time invested in whatever you do in life.
                        
                        To be a Van Gogh did take much time doing his art, is very rare to have brother to support him to practice his art, still he became a great artist by practice. Even today the chances to be an artist is that of freshly hatch sea turtle. The greatest reason artist fail, it not because they are not a good artist, it’s because they cannot financially support him selves along the way. So they may drive a trunk, or at best teach art wail not doing actually self expression art that much.

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                  BrightMeadowposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  To support yourself with your art, you have to be a good sales person, not necessarily a good artist.

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                     recommend1posted 13 years agoin reply to this

                     Or more - giving people what they want in quantity, a commodity -
                     - which is the balance of the art argument of this thread and life in general   art v commodity

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                        stclairjackposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                        brightmedow & recomend1- yea, there in lies the rub.
                        
                        my mother is a great artist, better painter than me by far, many finished pieces to her credit done for family and friends,... and when i asked her,.. "why dont you sell these?",.. she explained to me,... "because the minute i agree to do someone a picture they always start laying down rules, demands and changing things,... can you put a dog on the poorch,.. if i get you a picture can you put dads horse in the pasture,.. blah blah blah,... then they own the process,... it sucks"
                        
                        it took some time for me to undersatnd what she meant untill i had some one try it on me,.. i was to paint a picture that changed with his every whim, and this wasnt just right,.. and so on,.. i got pissed and told him to paint it himself. didnt get paid, didnt make him happy, and he did not paint it himself,... but it felt good to tell him to piss off,..... and it felt good to undertand what mom meant.
                        
                        i think a lot of artists become very attatched to the finished work, i understand how some of us can view the result as a child and not want to let go of it,... certainly hard to make a living sellling art you wont sell,... i just want to own the proccess,... once the product is done i'm creatively finnished with it, and ready to move on.
                        
                        spot on about marketing vs tallent,.... seen a lot of stuff out there that was marketed well,... but,... well, you know.

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                  Castlepalomaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  recommend1
                  
                  Everyone is an artist in low or in high degrees.
                  
                  To claim yourself a profession artist take practice and paying the bills through your art work. Most artist fail, not by passion, yet  more by business and logistic understanding

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7. 79

   kirstenblogposted 13 years ago

   I think an artist is someone who often thinks, "I wonder what would happen if I did this...?"
   
   My best art is the direct result of me wondering what will happen if....
   
   I also think an artist has to actually call themselves such, I know loads of people who draw and create nicer stuff then whats on sale in some gallery's I been to who say 'oh I can't draw' or whatever. Their self imposed limitation bars them from being artists even tho they are more then able to create art.

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   1. 75

      stclairjackposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      the "what if" factor,... thats the perfect mind-set,...
      
      and the self imposed restrictions are more damaging than any imposed by others,....
      
      you are spot on!

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   Aysun90posted 13 years ago

   Artist -> expressing his feelings and thoughts through a form of art.

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   DaNoblestposted 13 years ago

   Something I find very interesting is the perception of many concerning abstract art. Abstract art was an exercise within the artist community based on this same concept. They were trying to define what art is.
   
   As for me I believe an artist to be someone who...
   
   Is tormented in their quest for perfection,
   for ever pushing their own limits,
   more concerned about creating works than money,
   can make people think,
   make people feel,
   cause tears of happiness,
   and those of sorrow,
   an outcast of society,
   often alone,
   greatly misunderstood,
   their whole being constantly on the roam,
   a sharer of emotion,
   with depths most fear,
   total and complete devotion,
   especially with what they hold dear,
   can never find enough hours in the day,
   despises sleep,
   sometimes all they can do is pray,
   other times bitterly they weep,
   knows beauty,
   can portray life in several forms,
   struggles with self doubt,
   constant thoughts and more being felt,
   not being able to sleep until the morn,
   desiring to cause tears of happiness,
   and those of sorrow,
   an outcast of society,
   someone who knows lifes ups and downs,
   yet still does it all again tomorrow.

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   1. 75

      stclairjackposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      well said

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      Castlepalomaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      DaNoblest
      
      A few good notes

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    The Undiscoveredposted 13 years ago

    An Artist to me is someone who sees the world from a different perspective than those who adhere to societies rules. Can see, hear and feel beauty and passion in all they experience. I have been an actor of some 25 years, a writer and director. I make a living at what is my passion. But I have worked alongside people with the same credentials who couldn't be further from the title of Artist. Artistry has nothing to do with money, or livings made, it has to do with seeing the possibilities and never settling for someone elses interpretation of the world we live in!

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       stclairjackposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       amen!

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    Powerpoe1posted 13 years ago

    Art is an expression. It can consist of drawing, painting, haircutting or styling, and etc. Art is also a craft with no right or wrong way of how to construct or assemble. Example: When you view art, it maybe perceived differently by each individual (opinion)
    
    "A soul possess no original face."
    ------Runda Poe

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