essay about being artist

Essay on Being An Artist

Students are often asked to write an essay on Being An Artist in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

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100 Words Essay on Being An Artist

Understanding artists.

Artists are people who create art. Art can be paintings, music, dance, or any other form of creative expression. Artists use their skills and imagination to create something beautiful or meaningful.

The Creative Process

Being an artist is not just about creating art. It’s about the process of coming up with new ideas and turning them into reality. Artists often spend a lot of time thinking and experimenting before they create their final piece of art.

The Artist’s Journey

Being an artist can be challenging. Artists often face criticism and rejection. But they keep creating because they love what they do. They are driven by their passion for art and their desire to express themselves.

The Joy of Art

Despite the challenges, being an artist can be very rewarding. There’s joy in creating something from nothing. And there’s even greater joy when others appreciate your work. Being an artist is about sharing your vision and touching people’s hearts.

250 Words Essay on Being An Artist

What is an artist.

An artist is a person who uses their creativity to make things. They can create paintings, music, sculptures, and many other forms of art. Artists use their minds and hands to bring ideas to life.

The Life of an Artist

Being an artist is not just a job, it’s a way of life. Artists put their heart and soul into their work. They spend a lot of time thinking about new ideas. They also practice a lot to improve their skills. Artists often work alone, but they also share their work with others. They want to make people feel something when they see or hear their art.

Challenges Faced by Artists

Being an artist can be hard. Artists can face many challenges. Sometimes, they may not have enough money to buy supplies. Other times, people might not like their work. But artists keep going because they love what they do. They know that it takes time and effort to create great art.

Why Being an Artist is Rewarding

Despite the challenges, being an artist is very rewarding. Artists get to express their feelings and ideas in a unique way. They can inspire others with their work. When people appreciate an artist’s work, it brings them a lot of joy. Artists also feel proud when they see their skills improve over time.

In conclusion, being an artist is a special kind of life. It can be hard, but it is also very rewarding. Artists use their creativity to make the world a more beautiful place.

500 Words Essay on Being An Artist

An artist is a person who uses their imagination and skill to create something beautiful or meaningful. They may use different materials, like paint, clay, or even digital tools. Some artists make paintings or sculptures, while others write music, dance, or act in plays. Every artist is unique and has their own way of expressing ideas and emotions.

The Journey of Becoming an Artist

Becoming an artist is not just about learning how to draw or paint. It’s about exploring your own thoughts and feelings, and finding new ways to share them with the world. This journey often starts at a young age. Many artists begin creating art as children, using their natural curiosity and creativity. As they grow older, they might take art classes to learn new techniques and improve their skills.

Being an artist can be challenging. Sometimes, it’s hard to come up with new ideas or to make your art look exactly the way you want it to. Artists often face criticism, which can be tough to handle. They also need to find ways to support themselves financially, which can be difficult if they are just starting out or if their art is not widely known.

The Rewards of Being an Artist

Despite these challenges, being an artist can also be very rewarding. There is a great joy in creating something that is truly your own. Artists often say that they feel most alive when they are making art. They also get to connect with other people in a deep and meaningful way, by sharing their art and the ideas and emotions it represents.

Artists and Society

Artists play an important role in society. They help us to see the world in new and different ways. Through their art, they can challenge our beliefs, make us think, and inspire us to feel deeply. Artists can also bring beauty into our lives, and help us to appreciate the world around us.

In conclusion, being an artist is about much more than just making art. It’s about expressing oneself, facing challenges, and connecting with others. It’s a journey of self-discovery, creativity, and passion. And while it can be hard at times, it can also be a deeply fulfilling way to live one’s life.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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Definition Essay on Being an Artist

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1.3: Who is Considered an Artist? What Does it Mean to be an Artist?

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Pamela Sachant, Peggy Blood, Jeffery LeMieux, & Rita Tekippe

Pamela Sachant, Peggy Blood, Jeffery LeMieux, & Rita Tekippe
University System of Georgia via GALILEO Open Learning Materials

In much of the world today, an artist is considered to be a person with the talent and the skills to conceptualize and make creative works. Such persons are singled out and prized for their artistic and original ideas. Their art works can take many forms and fit into numerous categories, such as architecture, ceramics, digital art, drawings, mixed media, paintings, photographs, prints, sculpture, and textiles. Of greater importance, artists are the individuals who have the desire and ability to envision, design, and fabricate the images, objects, and structures we all encounter, use, occupy, and enjoy every day of our lives.

Today, as has been the case throughout history and across cultures, there are different titles for those who make and build. An artisan or craftsperson, for example, may produce decorative or utilitarian arts, such as quilts or baskets. Often, an artisan or craftsperson is a skilled worker, but not the inventor of the original idea or form. An artisan or craftsperson can also be someone who creates their own designs, but does not work in art forms or with materials traditionally associated with the so-called Fine Arts, such as painting and sculpture. A craftsperson might instead fashion jewelry, forge iron, or blow glass into patterns and objects of their own devising. Such inventive and skilled pieces are often categorized today as Fine Craft or Craft Art.

In many cultures throughout much of history, those who produced, embellished, painted, and built were not considered to be artists as we think of them now. They were artisans and craftspeople, and their role was to make the objects and build the structures for which they were hired, according to the design (their own or another’s) agreed upon with those for whom they were working. That is not to say they were untrained. In Medieval Europe, or the Middle Ages (fifth-fifteenth centuries), for example, an artisan generally began around the age of twelve as an apprentice, that is, a student who learned all aspects of a profession from a master who had their own workshop. Apprenticeships lasted five to nine years or more, and included learning trades ranging from painting to baking, and masonry to candle making. At the end of that period, an apprentice became a journeyman and was allowed to become a member of the craft guild that supervised training and standards for those working in that trade. To achieve full status in the guild, a journeyman had to complete their “masterpiece,” demonstrating sufficient skill and craftsmanship to be named a master.

We have little information about how artists trained in numerous other time periods and cultures, but we can gain some understanding of what it meant to be an artist by looking at examples of art work that were produced. Seated Statue of Gudea depicts the ruler of the state of Lagash in Southern Mesopotamia, today Iraq, during his reign, c. 2144-2124 BCE (Figure 1.10).

Figure 1.10 Gudea, Author: Met Museum, (OASC).

Gudea is known for building temples, many in the kingdom’s main city of Girsu (today Telloh, Iraq), with statues portraying himself in them. In these works, he is seated or standing with wide, staring eyes but otherwise a calm expression on his face and his hands folded in a gesture of prayer and greeting. Many of the statues, including the one pictured here, are carved from diorite, a very hard stone favored by rulers in ancient Egypt and the Near East for its rarity and the fine lines that can be cut into it. The ability to cut such precise lines allowed the craftsperson who carved this work to distinguish between and emphasize each finger in Gudea’s clasped hands as well as the circular patterns on his stylized shepherd’s hat, both of which indicate the leader’s dedication to the well-being and safety of his people.

Although the sculpture of Gudea was clearly carved by a skilled artisan, we have no record of that person, or of the vast majority of the artisans and builders who worked in the ancient world. Who they worked for and what they created are the records of their lives and artistry. Artisans were not valued for taking an original approach and setting themselves apart when creating a statue of a ruler such as Gudea: their success was based on their ability to work within standards of how the human form was depicted and specifically how a leader should look within that culture at that time. The large, almond-shaped eyes and compact, block-like shape of the figure, for example, are typical of sculpture from that period. This sculpture is not intended to be an individual likeness of Gudea; rather, it is a depiction of the characteristic features, pose, and proportions found in all art of that time and place.

Objects made out of clay were far more common in the ancient world than those made of metal or stone, such as the Seated Statue of Gudea, which were far more costly, time-consuming, and difficult to make. Human figures modeled in clay dating back as far as 29,000-25,000 BCE have been found in Europe, and the earliest known pottery, found in Jiangxi Province, China, dates to c. 18,000 BCE. Vessels made of clay and baked in ovens were first made in the Near East c. 8,000 BCE, nearly 6,000 years before the Seated Statue of Gudea was carved. Ceramic (clay hardened by heat) pots were used for storage and numerous everyday needs. They were utilitarian objects made by anonymous artisans.

Among the ancient Greeks, however, pottery rose to the level of an art form. But, the status of the individuals who created and painted the pots did not. Although their work may have been sought after, these potters and painters were still considered artisans. The origins of pottery that can be described as distinctively Greek dates to c. 1,000 BCE, in what is known as the Proto-geometric period. Over the next several hundred years, the shapes of the vessels and the types of decorative motifs and subjects painted on them became associated with the city where they were produced, and then specifically with the individuals who made and decorated the pots. The types of pots signed by the potter and the painter were generally large, elaborately decorated or otherwise specialized vessels that were used for ritual or ceremonial purposes.

That is the case with the Panathenaic Prize Amphora, 363-362 BCE, signed by Nikodemos, the potter, and attributed to the Painter of the Wedding Procession, whose name is not known but is identified through similarities to other painted pots (Figure 1.11). The Panathenaia was a festival held every four years in honor of Athena, the patron goddess of Athens, Greece, who is depicted on the amphora , a tall, two-handled jar with a narrow neck. On the other side of the storage jar, Nike, the goddess of victory, crowns the winner of the boxing competition for which this pot—containing precious olive oil from Athena’s sacred trees—was awarded by the city of Athens. Only the best potters and painters were hired to make pots that were part of such an important ceremony and holding such a significant prize. While the vast majority of artisans never identified themselves on their work, these noteworthy individuals were set apart and acknowledged by name. The makers’ signatures demonstrated the city’s desire to give an award of the highest quality; they acted as promotion for the potter and painter at that time, and they have immortalized them since. It must not be forgotten, however, that the prize inside the pot was considered far more important than the vessel or the skilled artisans who created it.

Figure 1.11 Panathenaic Prize Amphora with Lid, Artist: Nikodemos, Author: The J. Paul Getty Museum, (open content)

China was united and ruled by Mongols from the north, first under Kublai Kahn, in the period known as the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). The hand scroll painting Pear Blossoms was created with ink and colors on paper around 1280 by Qian Xuan (c. 1235-before 1307, China). (Figure 1.12) After the establishment of the Mongolian government, Qian Xuan abandoned his goal of obtaining a position as a scholar-official, as the highly educated bureaucrats who governed China were known, and turned to painting. He was part of a group of artists known as scholar-painters, or literati. The work of scholar-painters was desirable to many admirers of art because it was considered more personal, expressive, and spontaneous than the uniform and realistic paintings by professional, trained artists. The scholar-painters’ sophisticated and deep knowledge of philosophy, culture, and the arts— including calligraphy—made them welcome among fellow scholars and at court. They were part of the elite class of leaders, who followed the long and noble traditions within Confucian teachings of expressing oneself with wisdom and grace, especially in the art of poetry.

Figure 1.12 Pear Blossoms, Artist: Qian Xuan, Author: Met Museum, (OASC)

Qian Xuan was one of the first scholar-painters to unite painting and poetry, as he does in Pear Blossoms:

All alone by the veranda railing,

teardrops drenching the branches,

Although her face is unadorned,

her old charms remain;

Behind the locked gate, on a rainy night,

how she is filled with sadness.

How differently she looked bathed in golden waves

of moonlight, before the darkness fell.

The poem is not meant to illustrate or describe his painting of the branch with its delicate, young foliage and flowers; rather, the swaying, irregular lines of the leaves and the gently unfurling curves of the blossoms are meant to suggest comparisons to how quickly time passes—delicate blooms will soon fade—and evoke memories of times past.

In thirteenth-century China, as has been the case throughout much of that country’s history, the significance of a painting is closely associated with the identity of the artist, and with the scholars and collectors who owned the work over subsequent centuries. Their identities are known by the seals, or stamps in red acting as a signature, each added to the work of art. Specific subjects and how they were depicted were associated with the artist, and often referred back to in later works by other artists as a sign of respect and acknowledgment of the earlier master’s skill and expertise. In Pear Blossoms, as was often the case, the poem, and the calligraphy in which the artist wrote it, were part of the original composition of the entire painted scroll. The seals appended and notes written by later scholars and collectors continued adding to the composition, and its beauty and meaning, over the next seven hundred years.

When James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834-1903, USA, lived England) painted Arrangement in Flesh Colour and Black, Portrait of Theodore Duret in 1883, he was making references back to the makers’ marks Chinese and Japanese potters used as signatures on their ceramics in the monogram he adopted for his work: a stylized design of a butterfly based on his initials. (Figure 1.13) Whistler began signing his work with the recognizable but altered figure of a butterfly, which often appeared to be dancing, in the 1860s. He had begun collecting Japanese porcelain and prints, and was tremendously influenced by their colors, patterns, and compositions, which reflected Japanese principles of beauty in art, including elegant simplicity, tranquility, subtlety, naturalness, understated beauty, and asymmetry or irregularity.

Figure 1.13 Arrangement in Flesh Colour and Black: Portrait of Theodore Duret, Artist: James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Author: Met Museum, (OASC)

Whistler was among numerous American and European artists in the second half of the nineteenth century who felt compelled to break away from what they believed were the inhibiting constraints in how and what art students were taught and in the system of traditional art exhibitions. For Whistler and others, such restrictions were intolerable; as artists, they must be allowed to freely follow their own creative voices and pursuits. In adopting Japanese principles of beauty in art, Whistler could pursue what he called “Art for art’s sake.” That is, he could create art that served no other purpose than to express what he, as the artist, found to be elevating, harmonious, and pleasing to the eye, the mind, and the soul:

Art should be independent of all claptrap—should stand alone, and appeal to the artistic sense of eye or ear, without confounding this with emotions entirely foreign to it, as devotion, pity, love, patriotism, and the like. All these have no kind of concern with it; and that is why I insist on calling my works “arrangements” and “harmonies.”4

Setting the artist apart in this way, as someone with special qualifications and sensibilities at odds with the prevailing cultural and intellectual standards, was far from the role played by a scholar-painter such as Qian Xuan in thirteenth-century China. The work Qian Xuan created was in accord with prevailing standards, while Whistler often thought of himself and his art as conflicting with the conventions of his day. Continuing one notion or categorization of the artist that had been present in Europe since the sixteenth century (and, later, the United States), Whistler was the singular, creative genius, whose art was often misunderstood and not necessarily accepted.

That was indeed the case. In 1878, Whistler won a lawsuit for libel against the art critic John Ruskin, who described Whistler’s 1875 painting, Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket, as “flinging a pot of paint in the public’s face.” (Figure 1.14) By around 1880, in the aftermath of that rancorous proceeding, Whistler often added a long stinger to his butterfly monogram, symbolizing both the gentle beauty of his art as well as the forceful, at times stinging, nature of his personality.

4 James Abbott McNeill Whistler, The Gentle Art of Making Enemies (New York: Frederick Stokes & Brother, 1908), www. gutenberg.org/files/24650/24650-h/24650-h.html

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How to Be an Artist

33 rules to take you from clueless amateur to generational talent (or at least help you live life a little more creatively)..

Art is for anyone. It’s just not for everyone. I know this viscerally, as a would-be artist who burned out. I wrote about that last year , and ever since, I’ve been beset — every lecture I give, every gallery I pop my head into, somebody is asking me for advice. What they’re really asking is “How can I be an artist?”

When, last month, Banksy jerry-rigged a frame to shred a painting just when it was auctioned, I could almost hear the whispers: “Is that art?” This fall, the biggest museum event in New York is the Whitney’s retrospective of Andy Warhol — the paradigmatic self-made, make-anything-art-and-yourself-famous artist. Today, we are all Andy’s children, especially in the age of Instagram, which has trained everyone to think visually and to look at our regular lives as fodder for aesthetic output.

How do you get from there to making real art, great art? There’s no special way; everyone has their own path. Yet, over the years, I’ve found myself giving the same bits of advice . Most of them were simply gleaned from looking at art, then looking some more. Others from listening to artists talk about their work and their struggles. (Everyone’s a narcissist.) I’ve even stolen a couple from my wife.

There are 33 rules — and they really are all you need to know to make a life for yourself in art. Or 34, if you count “Always be nice, generous, and open with others and take good care of your teeth.” And No. 35: “Fake it till you make it.”

Step One: You Are a Total Amateur

Five lessons before you even get started.

Lesson 1: Don’t Be Embarrassed

I get it. Making art can be humiliating, terrifying, leave you feeling foul, exposed, like getting naked in front of someone else for the first time. You often reveal things about yourself that others may find appalling, weird, boring, or stupid. People may think you’re abnormal or a hack. Fine. When I work, I feel sick to my stomach with thoughts like None of this is any good. It makes no sense. But art doesn’t have to make sense. It doesn’t even need to be good. So don’t worry about being smart and let go of being “good.”

Lesson 2: “Tell your own story and you will be interesting.” — Louise Bourgeois

Amen, Louise. Don’t be reined in by other people’s definitions of skill or beauty or be boxed in by what is supposedly high or low. Don’t stay in your own lane. Drawing within the lines is for babies; making things add up and be right is for accountants. Proficiency and dexterity are only as good as what you do with them. But also remember that just because it’s your story, that doesn’t mean you’re entitled to an audience. You have to earn that. Don’t try to do it with a big single project. Take baby steps. And be happy with baby steps.

Lesson 3: Feel Free to Imitate

We all start as copycats , people who make pastiches of other people’s work. Fine! Do that. However, when you do this, focus, start to feel the sense of possibility in making all these things your own — even when the ideas, tools, and moves come from other artists. Whenever you make anything, think of yourself as entering a gigantic stadium filled with ideas, avenues, ways, means, and materials. And possibilities. Make these things yours. This is your house now.

Lesson 4: Art Is Not About Understanding. Or Mastery.

It is about doing and experience.

No one asks what Mozart means. Or an Indian raga or the little tripping dance of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers to “Cheek to Cheek” in Top Hat. Forget about making things that are understood. I don’t know what Abba means, but I love it. Imagination is your creed; sentimentality and lack of feeling your foe. All art comes from love — love of doing something.

Lesson 5: Work, Work, Work

Sister Corita Kent said, “The only rule is work. If you work, it will lead to something. It’s the people who do all of the work all the time who eventually catch onto things.”

I have tried every way in the world to stop work-block or fear of working, of failure. There is only one method that works: work. And keep working.

Every artist and writer I know claims to work in their sleep. I do all the time. Jasper Johns famously said, “One night I dreamed that I painted a large American flag, and the next morning I got up and I went out and bought the materials to begin it.” How many times have you been given a whole career in your dreams and not heeded it? It doesn’t matter how scared you are; everyone is scared. Work. Work is the only thing that takes the curse of fear away.

Step Two: How to Actually Begin

An instruction manual for the studio.

Lesson 6: Start With a Pencil

Don’t worry about drawing. Just make marks. Tell yourself you’re simply diagramming, playing, experimenting, seeing what looks like what. If you can write, you already know how to draw ; you already have a form of your own, a style of making letters and numbers and special doodles. These are forms of drawing, too. While you’re making marks and drawing, pay attention to all the physical feedback you’re getting from your hand, wrist, arm, ears, your sense of smell and touch. How long can your mark go before you seem to need to lift the pencil and make a different mark? Make those marks shorter or longer. Change the ways you make them at all, wrap your fingers in fabric to change your touch, try your other hand to see what it does. All these things are telling you something. Get very quiet inside yourself and pay attention to everything you’re experiencing. Don’t think good or bad. Think useful, pleasurable, strange. Hide secrets in your work. Dance with these experiences, collaborate with them. They’re the leader; you follow. Soon you’ll be making up steps too, doing visual calypsos all your own — ungainly, awkward, or not. Who cares? You’ll be dancing to the music of art.

Carry a sketchbook with you at all times. Cover a one-by-one-foot piece of paper with marks. But don’t just fill the whole page border to border, edge to edge. (Way too easy.) Think about what shapes, forms, structures, configurations, details, sweeps, buildups, dispersals, and compositions appeal to you.

Now do this on another surface, any surface, to know what kind of material appeals to you. Draw on rock, metal, foam-core, coffee cups, labels, the sidewalk, walls, plants, fabric, wood, whatever. Just make marks; decorate these surfaces. Don’t worry about doing more. All art is a form of decoration . Now ask someone what ideas they get when they look at what you’ve made. They’ve just told you more about what you’ve already done. If the other person sees it in your work, it’s there.

Next, draw the square foot in front of you. This can be tight, loose, abstract, realistic. It’s a way to see how you see objects, textures, surfaces, shapes, light, dark, atmosphere, and patterns. It tells you what you missed seeing. This will be your first masterpiece . Now draw the same square foot from the other side. You are already becoming a much better seeing machine and you don’t even know it.

Lesson 7: Develop Forms of Practice

For instance, on the subway, while waiting or sitting around, practice drawing your own hands. Lots of hands on the same page, hands over other hands. Other people’s hands, if you want to. You can draw other parts of your body that you can see, too. But you have to look and then describe with your pencil or pen what you see. Don’t make it up! Mirrors are fine, even if you want to draw only where your cheek turns into your mouth. Play with different scales, make things bigger, smaller, twisted.

Exercise: Forget Being a Genius and Develop Some Skills I think all artists should: • Build a clay pot. • Sew pieces of fabric together. • Prune a tree. • Make a wooden bowl on a lathe, by carving. • Make a lithograph, etching, or woodblock print. • Make one hokey Dalí-like painting or mini Kusama light installation to get this out of your system.

You are now in possession of ancient secret knowledge.

Lesson 8: Now, Redefine Skill

Artistic skill has nothing to do with technical proficiency, mimetic exactitude, or so-called good drawing. For every great artist, there is a different definition of skill. Take drawing classes, if you wish; learn to draw “like the masters.” You still have to do it in an original way. Pollock could not draw realistically, but he made flicking paint at a canvas from above, for a time, the most prized skill in the art world. You can do the same — your skill will be whatever it is you’re doing differently.

Lesson 9: “Embed thought in material.” — Roberta Smith

What does this mean? An object should express ideas ; art should contain emotions. And these ideas and feelings should be easy to understand — complex or not.

These days, an artist might exhibit an all-brown painting with a long wall text informing us that the artist took the canvas to Kosovo near the site of a 1990s Serbian massacre and rubbed dirt on the canvas for two hours while blindfolded to commemorate the killing. Recently, while I was looking at boring black-and-white photographs of clouds in the sky, a gallerist sidled up to me and seriously opined, “These are pictures of clouds over Ferguson, Missouri, in protest of police violence.” I started yelling, “No! These are just dumb pictures of clouds and have nothing to do with anything.”

There is a different way. In the winter of 1917, Marcel Duchamp, age 29, bought a urinal at J.L. Mott Iron Works on Fifth Avenue, turned it on its side, signed it “R. Mutt 1917,” titled it Fountain , and submitted it to the non-juried Society of Independent Artists exhibition.

Fountain is an aesthetic equivalent of the Word made flesh, an object that is also an idea — that anything can be an artwork. Today it is called the most influential artwork of the 20th century.

This project of embedding thought in material to change our conception of the world isn’t only a new development. When we see cave paintings, we are seeing one of the most advanced and complex visual operating systems ever devised by our species. The makers of the work wanted to portray in the real world something they had in their head and make that information readable to others. It has lasted tens of thousands of years. With that in mind …

Exercise: Build a Life Totem Using any material on any surface, make or draw or render a four-foot-tall totem pole of your life. From this totem, we should be able to know something about you other than what you look like or how many siblings you have. Include anything you want: words, letters, maps, photos, objects, signs. This should take no longer than a week. After a week, it’s finished. Period. Now show it to someone who does not know you well. Tell them only, “This is a totem pole of my life till now.” That’s all. It doesn’t matter if they like it. Ask them to tell you what it means about your life. No clues. Listen to what they tell you.

Lesson 10: Find Your Own Voice

Then exaggerate it.

If someone says your work looks like someone else’s and you should stop making it, I say don’t stop doing it . Do it again. Do it 100 times or 1,000 times. Then ask an artist friend whom you trust if your work still looks too much like the other person’s art. If it still looks too much like the other person’s, try another path.

Imagine the horror Philip Guston must have felt when he followed his own voice and went from being a first-string Abstract Expressionist in the 1950s to painting clunky, cartoony figures smoking cigars, driving around in convertibles, and wearing KKK hoods! He was all but shunned for this. He followed his voice anyway. This work is now some of the most revered from the entire period. In your downtime …

Exercise: An Archaeology Make an index, family tree, chart, or diagram of your interests. All of them, everything: visual, physical, spiritual, sexual. Leisure time, hobbies, foods, buildings, airports, everything. Every book, movie, website, etc. The totality of this self-exposure may be daunting, scary. But your voice is here. This will become a resource and record to return to and add to for the rest of your life.

Lesson 11: Listen to the Crazy Voices in Your Head

I have my own sort of School of Athens in my head. A team of rivals, friends, famous people, influences dead and alive. They’re all looking over my shoulder as I work; none of them are mean. All make observations, recommendations, etc. I use music a lot. I think, Okay, let’s begin this piece with a real pow! Like Beethoven. Or the Barbara Kruger in my head says, Make this sentence short, punchy, declarative, aggressive. Led Zeppelin chimes in with, Try a hairy experiment here; let it all show. All the Sienese paintings I’ve ever seen beg me, Make it beautiful. D. H. Lawrence is pounding on the table, Alexander Pope is making me get a grip, Wallace Stevens listens to my language and recommends words, Whitman pushes me on, my inner Melville gets grandiose, and Proust drives me to make longer and longer sentences till they almost break, and my editor cuts these into eighths or edits them down to one. (Writers need editors. No exceptions.) These voices will always be there for when things get tough.

Lesson 12: Know What You Hate

It is probably you.

Exercise: Make a List of Art Make a list of three artists whose work you despise. Make a list of five things about each artist that you do not like; be as specific as possible. Often there’s something about what these artists do that you share. Really think about this.

Lesson 13: Scavenge

Life is your syllabus: Gather from everywhere.

Andy Warhol said, “I always like to work on … things that were discarded, that everybody knew were no good.” He also understood that “department stores will become museums,” meaning that optical information can come from everywhere, even from a Celestial Seasonings package.

Originality did not conveniently die just in time for you and your generation to insist it no longer exists. You just have to find it. You can do this by looking for overlooked periods of art history, disliked and discredited styles, and forgotten ideas, images, and objects. Then work them into your own art 100 times or 1,000 times.

Step Three: Learn How to Think Like an Artist

This is the fun part.

Lesson 14: Compare Cats and Dogs

Okay, this sounds ridiculous, but call your dog and it comes right over to you, placing its head in your lap, slobbering, wagging its tail: a miraculous direct communication with another species . Now call your cat. It might look up, twitch a bit, perhaps go over to the couch, rub against it, circle once, and lie down again. What am I saying?

In seeing how the cat reacted, you are seeing something very close to how artists communicate.

The cat is not interested in direct communication. The cat places a third thing between you and it and relates to you through this third thing. Cats communicate abstractly, indirectly. As Carol Bove says, “You don’t just walk up to beauty and kiss her on the mouth!” Artists are cats. (And they can’t be herded.)

Lesson 15: Understand That Art Is Not Just for Looking At

Art does something.

In the past 100 years or so, art has been reduced to being mainly something we look at in clean, white, well-lit art galleries and museums. Art has been limited this way, made a passive thing: another tourist attraction to see, take a picture in front of, and move on from.

But for almost its entire history, art has been a verb, something that does things to or for you, that makes things happen. Holy relics in churches all over the world are said to heal. Art has been carried into war; made to protect us, curse a neighbor, kill someone; been an aid in getting pregnant or preventing pregnancy. There are huge, beautiful, multicolored, intricately structured Navajo sand paintings used in ceremonies to ask the gods for assistance. The eyes painted on Egyptian sarcophagi are not there for us to see; they are there so the interred person can watch. The paintings inside the tombs were meant to be seen only by beings in the afterlife.

Have you ever cried in front of a work of art? Write down six things about it that made you cry. Tack the list to your studio wall. Those are magical abracadabras for you.

Lesson 16: Learn the Difference Between Subject Matter and Content

One of the most crucial lessons there is!

The subject matter of Francis Bacon’s 1953 Study After Velázquez’s Portrait of Pope Innocent X is a pope, a seated male in a transparent sort of box. That’s it. The content might be a rebellion or an indictment of religion. It might be claustrophobia or hysteria or the madness of religion or civilization.

The subject matter of Michelangelo’s David is a standing man with a sling. The content might be grace, beauty — he was just 17, if you know what I mean — pensiveness, physical awareness, timelessness, eternal things, a form of perfection, vulnerability. This content is High Renaissance. Bernini’s David, made 120 years later, is Baroque — all action and drama.

When you look at art, make subject matter the first thing you see — and then stop seeing it.

Try to find the content in a painting by Robert Ryman, who has been making almost-all-white work since the 1950s. Ask what Ryman’s (or any artist’s) ideas are and what his relationship to paint is, to surface, to internal scale (meaning what size brushstrokes were used in the work), to color. What is white to Ryman? Note the date: 1960. Why would he make this painting then? Would this have looked like other art at the time? How would it have been different? Ask yourself what else was being made then. How is the work hung on the wall? Is it in a frame? Is the stretcher or surface thick, thin, close to the wall? How is this like or unlike other almost-monochrome works by Ellsworth Kelly , Barnett Newman, Agnes Martin, or Ad Reinhardt? Is the surface sensual or intellectual? Does the painter want you to see the work all at once or in parts? Are some parts more important than others? Is every part of the surface supposed to be equally important? What are the artist’s ideas about craft and skill? Do you think this artist likes painting or is trying to paint against it? Is this anti-art? What is Ryman’s relationship to materials, tools, mark-making? How do you think he made the work? How might it be original or innovative? Why should this be in a museum? Why should it not be in a museum? Would you want to live with it? Why or why not? Why do you imagine the painting is this size? Now try a Frida Kahlo.

Exercise: Compare These Eight Nudes Forget the subject matter — what is each of these paintings actually saying ?

Lesson 17: See As Much As You Can

Critics see by standing back, getting close, stepping up and back; looking at a whole show, comparing one work to another; considering the artist’s past work, assessing developments, repetitions, regressions, failures , lack of originality; etc.

Artists see very differently: They get very close to a work; they inspect every detail, its textures, materials, makeup; they touch it, look at the edges and around the back of the object.

What are the artists doing? They will say, “Seeing how it is made.” I would say, “Stealing.”

You can steal from anything. You should! You better! Bad art teaches you as much as good art. Maybe more! Great art is often the enemy of the good; it doesn’t leave you enough room to steal.

Lesson 18: All Art Is Identity Art!

This is because it is made by somebody .

And don’t worry about being “political” enough: Kazimir Malevich painted squares during World War I; Mark Rothko made fuzzy squares during World War II; Agnes Martin drew grids on canvas during the Vietnam War. All art is a confession, more or less oblique.

Artists who claim that art is supposed to be good for us need also to see that there are as many ways of art being “good for us” as there are works of art.

Lesson 19: All Art Was Once Contemporary Art

Never forget this, that all art was made by artists for and in reaction to their time. It will make you less cynical and closed off and more understanding and open to everything you ever see. Please do this! It applies to all of us.

Step Four: Enter the Art World

A guide to the snake pit.

Lesson 20: Accept That You Will Likely Be Poor

Even though all we see of the art world these days are astronomical prices, glitz, glamour, and junkie-like behavior, remember that only one percent of one percent of one percent of all artists become rich off their artwork. You may feel overlooked, underrecognized, and underpaid. Too bad. Stop feeling sorry for yourself; that’s not why you’re doing this.

Lesson 21: Define Success

But be careful. Typical answers are money, happiness, freedom, “doing what I want,” having a community of artists, having people see what I do.

But … if you marry a rich person and have lots of money, would you be satisfied with just the money? Also, Subway sells a lot of sandwiches, but that doesn’t make them good.

What about being “happy”? Don’t be silly! A lot of successful people are unhappy. And a lot of happy people aren’t successful. I’m “successful,” and I’m confused, terrified, insecure, and foul all the time. Success and happiness live on different sides of the tracks.

Do you want the real definition of success? The best definition of success is time — the time to do your work.

How will you make time if you don’t have money? You will work full time for a long time. You will be depressed because of this for a long time — resentful, frustrated, envious. I’m sorry, that’s the way it is.

But you’re a sneaky, resourceful artist! Soon you figure out a way to work only four days a week; you start to be a little less depressed. But then on Sunday night, you’re depressed again, back on your ride-to-nowhere job that’s still taking up too much of your time.

But you are really sneaky and resourceful; this is a life-and-death matter to you. Eventually — and this comes for fully 80 percent of the artists I have ever known — you scam a way to work an only-three-days-a-week job. You may work in a gallery; for an artist or a museum; as a teacher, an art critic, an art handler, a bookkeeper, a proofreader, whatever.

Now you aren’t depressed anymore: You have time to make your work and hang out more; you are now the first measure of successful. Now get to work. Or quit being an artist.

Lesson 22: It Takes Only a Few People to Make a Career

Exactly how many? Let’s count.

Dealers? You need only one dealer — someone who believes in you, supports you emotionally, pays you promptly, doesn’t play too many mind games; who’ll be honest with you about your crappy or great art, who does as much as possible to spread your work out there and try to make money from it, too. This dealer doesn’t have to be in New York.

Collectors? You need only five or six collectors who will buy your work from time to time and over the years, who really get what you’re up to, who are willing to go through the ups and downs, who don’t say, “Make them like this. ” Each of these six collectors might talk to six other collectors about your work. Even if you have only six collectors, that’s enough for you to make enough money to have enough time to make your work.

Critics? It would be nice to have two or as many as three critics who seem to get what you’re doing. It would be best if these critics were of your generation, not geezers like me.

Curators? It would be nice to have one or two curators of your generation or a little older who would put you in shows from time to time.

That’s it! Twelve people. Surely your crappy art can fake out 12 stupid people! I’ve seen it done with only three or four supporters. I’ve seen it done with one!

In 1957, gallery owner Leo Castelli discovered Jasper Johns while visiting Robert Rauschenberg’s studio. Castelli immediately offered Johns his first solo show. It was there that Alfred Barr, the founding director of New York’s Museum of Modern Art, purchased three works. Additional works were bought by Philip Johnson and Burton and Emily Hall Tremaine. Before the show even went up, executive editor Thomas Hess put a Johns on the cover of ARTnews.

In 1993, Elizabeth Peyton’s New York breakthrough was staged by dealer Gavin Brown in Room 828 of the Chelsea Hotel. Visitors asked for the key to the room at the front desk. They went upstairs, unlocked the door, and entered a small studio apartment facing 23rd Street. There they saw 21 small-to-medium-size black-and-white charcoal-and-ink drawings of dandies, Napoleon, Queen Elizabeth II, Ludwig II, and others. Any of the works could have been stolen; none were. Since then, Peyton has had museum shows all over the world; her works sell for close to a million dollars. According to the hotel ledger, only 38 people saw the show after the opening. It doesn’t take much.

I can’t sugarcoat this next part: Some people are better connected than others. They get to 12 faster. The art world is full of these privileged people. You can hate them. I do. It is unfair and unjust and still in operation around women and artists of color especially, not to mention artists over 40. This needs to change and be changed. By all of us.

Lesson 23: Learn to Write

When it comes to artist statements, Keep it simple, stupid.

Don’t use art jargon; write in your own voice, write how you talk. Don’t try to write smart. Keep your statement direct, clear, to the point. Don’t oppose big concepts like “nature” and “culture.” Don’t use words like interrogate, reconceptualize, deconstruct, symbolize, transcendental, mystical, commodity culture, liminal space, or haptic. Don’t quote Foucault, Deleuze, Derrida. Those guys are great. But don’t quote them. Come up with your own theory. People who claim to hate or have no theory: That’s your theory, you idiots!

Important things are hard to write about. That’s the way it is. Deal with it. And if it’s pretentious to say, don’t say it.

Exercise: Artist’s Statement Write a simple 100-to-150-word statement about your work; give it to someone who doesn’t know your work. Have them tell you what they think your work looks like. Note the differences.

Two Tips: ( A ) Don’t make writing a big deal. Just write, you big baby! You already know how to write.

( B ) Never just say, “You tell me what it is.” That’s pompous bullshit. When it comes to your work, you’re the best authority there is.

Step Five: Survive the Art World

Psychic strategies for dealing with the ugliness (inside and out).

Lesson 24: Artists Must Be Vampires

Stay up late every night with other artists around your age. Show up. Go to openings, events, parties, wherever there are more than two of your kind.

Artists must commune with their own kind all the time. There are no exceptions to this rule, even if you live “out in the woods.” Preferably commune in person, but online is more than fine. It doesn’t matter where you live: big city, small city, little town. You will fight and love together; you will develop new languages together and give each other comfort, conversation, and the strength to carry on. This is how you will change the world — and your art.

To protect yourselves, form small gangs. Protect one another no matter what; this gang will allow all of you to go out into and take over parts of the world. Argue, sleep with, love, hate, get sick of your fellow gang members. Whatever happens, you need one another — for now. Protect the weakest artist in your gang, because there are people in the gang who think you’re the weak one.

Lesson 25: Learn to Deal With Rejection

In 1956, “after careful consideration,” the Museum of Modern Art rejected a shoe drawing by Warhol that he had given to the museum. Monet was rejected for years from the Paris Salon exhibitions. The work of Manet and Courbet was rejected as scandalous, sensationalist, ugly. Manet’s paintings were said to exhibit “inconceivable vulgarity.” Manet didn’t want to show with Cézanne because he thought he was vulgar.

Stephen King’s most renowned and first book , Carrie, was rejected 30 times. King threw the first pages of the book out. His wife went through the trash, rescued them, and persuaded him to keep writing.

The Beatles were rejected by Decca Records, which believed “guitar groups are on the way out,” and “the Beatles have no future in show business.”

But don’t just ignore criticism. Instead, keep your rejection letters; paste them to your wall. They are goads, things to prove wrong. You may be Ahab about these bad reviews, but don’t get taken down by them; they don’t define you.

Much trickier: Accept that every criticism can have a grain of truth to it, something you did that allowed this person to say what was said. You might be ahead of your time, but the person couldn’t see it. Or maybe you’re doing something that isn’t up to snuff, that allowed them not to appreciate your work, or you haven’t found a way to make your work speak to the people you want it to speak to. That’s all on you.

In general, you must be open to critique but also develop an elephant skin. And remember that nothing anyone says to you about your work can be worse than the things you’ve already thought and said to yourself 100 times.

I always tell anyone criticizing me, “You could be right.” It has a nice double edge that the person often never feels and that gives pleasure.

Lesson 26: Make an Enemy of Envy

Envy looks at others but blinds you.

It will eat you alive as an artist; you live in the service of it, always on the edge of a funk, dwelling on past slights, watching everything, always seeing what other people have, scanning for other artists who are mentioned instead of you. Envy erodes your inner mind, leaves less room for development and, most important, for honest self-criticism. Your imagination is taken up by what others have, rather than what you need to be doing in your own work to get what you want. From this fortress, everything that doesn’t happen to you is blamed on something or someone else. You fancy yourself a modern van Gogh, a passed-over genius the world isn’t ready for. You relinquish agency and responsibility. Your feelings of lack define you, make you sour, bitter, not loving, and mean.

Poor you. Too bad that all those other “bad artists” are getting shows and you’re not. Too bad they’re getting the articles, money, and love! Too bad they have a trust fund, went to better schools, married someone rich, are better looking, have thinner ankles, are more social, have better connections, or use their connections, networking skills, and education. Too bad you’re shy.

A secret: Almost everyone in the art world is almost equally as bashful and skittish about putting themselves out there. I’m unable to attend seated dinners. We all do the best we can. But “poor me” isn’t a way to make your work better, and you’re out of the game if you don’t show up. So grow a pair of whatever and get back to work!

Lesson 27: Having a Family Is Fine

There is an unwritten rule — especially for women in the art world — that having children is “bad for your career.” This is idiotic.

Probably 90 percent of all artists have had children. These artists have mostly been men, and it wasn’t bad for their careers. Of course, women were tasked almost exclusively with domesticity and child-rearing over the centuries, not permitted in schools and academies, not even allowed to draw the nude, let alone apprentice to or learn from artists. That is over.

Having children is not “bad” for your career. Having children means having less time or money or space. So what? Most children raised within the art world have amazing lives.

As artist Laurel Nakadate has observed, being a parent is already very much like being an artist. It means always lugging things around, living in chaos, doing things that are mysterious or impossible or scary. As with art, children can drive you crazy all day, make you wish all this could go away. Then in a single second, at any point, you are redeemed with a moment of intense, transformative love.

Step Six: Attain Galactic Brain

Jerry’s cosmic epigrams.

Lesson 28: What You Don’t Like Is As Important As What You Do Like

Don’t say, “I hate figurative painting.” You never know when you will see a so-called figurative painting that catches your attention. So don’t be an art-world undertaker pronouncing mediums dead! “Painting is dead,” “The novel is dead,” “The author is dead,” “Photography is dead,” “History is dead.” Nothing is dead!

Lesson 29: Art Is a Form of Knowing Yourself

Art is not optional, not decorative landscaping in front of the castle of civilization. It is no more or less important than philosophy, religion, economics, or psychology.

Lesson 30: “Artists do not own the meaning of their work.” — Roberta Smith

Remember: anyone may use your art — any art — in any way that works for them. You may say your work is about diaspora, but others might see in it climate change or a nature study. Cool.

Lesson 31: All Art Is Subjective

What does this mean? We have consensus that certain artists are good, but you may look at a Rembrandt and find yourself thinking … It’s pretty brown. That’s fine! It doesn’t mean you’re dumb.

It does mean that while there is one text for Hamlet, every person who sees the play sees a different Hamlet. Moreover, every time you see Hamlet, it is different. This is the case with almost all good art. It is always changing, and every time you see it anew, you think, How could I have missed that before? Now I finally see! Until the next time it rearranges your thinking.

This brings you into one of art’s metaphysical quasar chambers: Art is a static, non-changing thing that is never the same.

Lesson 32: You Must Prize Vulnerability

Radical vulnerability.

What’s that? It’s following your work into its darkest corners and strangest manifestations, revealing things about yourself that you don’t want to reveal until your work requires you to do this, and never failing in only mediocre or generic ways. We all contradict ourselves. We contain multitudes. You must be willing to fail flamboyantly , do things that seem silly and that might get you judged as a bad person.

Lesson 33: Be Delusional

At three a.m., demons speak to all of us. I am old, and they still speak to me every night. And every day.

They tell you you’re not good enough, didn’t go to the right schools, are stupid, don’t know how to draw, don’t have enough money, aren’t original; that what you do doesn’t matter, and who cares, and you don’t even know art history, and can’t schmooze, and have a bad neck. They tell you that you’re faking it, that other people see through you, that you’re lazy, that you don’t know what you’re doing, and that you’re just doing this to get attention or money.

I have one solution to turn away these demons: After beating yourself up for half an hour or so, stop and say out loud, “Yeah, but I’m a fucking genius.”

You are, now. Art is for anyone, it just isn’t for everyone. These rules are your tools. Now use them to go change the world. Get to work!

How to Be an Artist by Jerry Saltz will be published March 17, 2020.

*This article appears in the November 26, 2018, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now!

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Essay on Art

500 words essay on art.

Each morning we see the sunshine outside and relax while some draw it to feel relaxed. Thus, you see that art is everywhere and anywhere if we look closely. In other words, everything in life is artwork. The essay on art will help us go through the importance of art and its meaning for a better understanding.

What is Art?

For as long as humanity has existed, art has been part of our lives. For many years, people have been creating and enjoying art. It expresses emotions or expression of life. It is one such creation that enables interpretation of any kind.

It is a skill that applies to music, painting, poetry, dance and more. Moreover, nature is no less than art. For instance, if nature creates something unique, it is also art. Artists use their artwork for passing along their feelings.

Thus, art and artists bring value to society and have been doing so throughout history. Art gives us an innovative way to view the world or society around us. Most important thing is that it lets us interpret it on our own individual experiences and associations.

Art is similar to live which has many definitions and examples. What is constant is that art is not perfect or does not revolve around perfection. It is something that continues growing and developing to express emotions, thoughts and human capacities.

Importance of Art

Art comes in many different forms which include audios, visuals and more. Audios comprise songs, music, poems and more whereas visuals include painting, photography, movies and more.

You will notice that we consume a lot of audio art in the form of music, songs and more. It is because they help us to relax our mind. Moreover, it also has the ability to change our mood and brighten it up.

After that, it also motivates us and strengthens our emotions. Poetries are audio arts that help the author express their feelings in writings. We also have music that requires musical instruments to create a piece of art.

Other than that, visual arts help artists communicate with the viewer. It also allows the viewer to interpret the art in their own way. Thus, it invokes a variety of emotions among us. Thus, you see how essential art is for humankind.

Without art, the world would be a dull place. Take the recent pandemic, for example, it was not the sports or news which kept us entertained but the artists. Their work of arts in the form of shows, songs, music and more added meaning to our boring lives.

Therefore, art adds happiness and colours to our lives and save us from the boring monotony of daily life.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Conclusion of the Essay on Art

All in all, art is universal and can be found everywhere. It is not only for people who exercise work art but for those who consume it. If there were no art, we wouldn’t have been able to see the beauty in things. In other words, art helps us feel relaxed and forget about our problems.

FAQ of Essay on Art

Question 1: How can art help us?

Answer 1: Art can help us in a lot of ways. It can stimulate the release of dopamine in your bodies. This will in turn lower the feelings of depression and increase the feeling of confidence. Moreover, it makes us feel better about ourselves.

Question 2: What is the importance of art?

Answer 2: Art is essential as it covers all the developmental domains in child development. Moreover, it helps in physical development and enhancing gross and motor skills. For example, playing with dough can fine-tune your muscle control in your fingers.

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What It Means to Be an Artist in Our New World

A+mixed-media+piece+by+WSN+Creative+Director+Charlie+Dodge+captured+in+her+dorm+room.+The+concept+of+art+and+what+it+means+to+be+an+artist+has+shifted+during+the+course+of+2020.+%28Staff+Illustration+by+Charlie+Dodge%2C+Staff+Photo+by+Leo+Sheingate%29

What does it mean to be an artist? To some, an artist has to paint a picture, sing a song or bust a move. To others, an artist has to have their name shouted by thousands of adoring fans or written in a playbill. While these conceptions are mainstream and often accurate, I cannot help but challenge how unnecessarily rigid such associations are.

These definitions focus on what it meant to be an artist a year ago: creating fine art, sharing it in large group settings and participating in expansive promotional campaigns. However, we do not live in the same world anymore; in a matter of months, the entire arts industry was turned upside down due to the pandemic and its safety protocols. We cannot collaborate in person. We cannot congregate in person. We cannot create in person. So if the world is a completely different place, how can we even consider using an outdated interpretation of what an artist is?

Right now, artists should be challenging dated practices, creating new opportunities and connecting in unconventional ways to ultimately improve their talents and keep their industries alive. I know this is easier said than done, but hear me out.

Artists are inherently perseverant. When society pressures people to conform, artists find a way to stay true to themselves and help others find their voices — like Lady Gaga and the “ Born This Way Foundation .” When institutions silence or marginalize individuals because of their racial, religious, gender or sexual identity, artists shout to be heard — such as “Glee” star Samantha Marie Ware speaking out about the mistreatment she faced on set. When it feels as if every original idea has been thought of, artists always invent new genres.

The pandemic resulted in a period of time filled with an infinite amount of questions, but uncertainty is the very environment artists flourish in. Equipped to adapt to the given situation, explore artistic impulses and tackle any obstacle, artists are taking control of their work more than ever to focus on what really matters: how the art evokes an emotion, challenges themselves or educates the public.

These past six months have shown that when the flashing lights and adoring fans disappear, all that is left is the art; Taylor Swift may not be touring the world, but her new album “Folklore” allowed her to experiment with a new sound; filmmakers may not be on set, yet “Homemade” on Netflix is a way for them to discover what they are curious about through short films. The lack of public interaction does not mean artists or their art are worth any less. If anything, an artist’s identity and art are more valuable than ever before.

So what does this mean for artists all over the world? While this time may seem like some sort of punishment, try to think of it as an opportunity. Right now is not a time to remain complacent, but a moment to truly focus on who you are and where you want to go without any distractions. Listen to your voice. Pursue your passions. Find new ones. Instead of waiting for change, be the change. Set a goal. Try your best. Didn’t meet it? That’s okay.

To be an artist, you must make the most out of every situation by refining your skills, defining your aspirations and redesigning what being an artist means to you and only you — ignore everyone else. Remember the artist you were and imagine the better artist you are destined to become. Rejuvenate. Innovate. Create.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, August 31, 2020 e-print edition. Email Sasha Cohen at [email protected] .

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Megan Coyle: Artist & Illustrator

Why I am an Artist

“Why are you an artist?”

I get asked this question a lot, and every time I hear it, I’m always surprised it was ever asked in the first place.

“I’m an artist because I don’t have a choice.”

I guess it’s hard for non-artists to understand what I mean, and to understand what fuels me to live the creative life. I’m an artist because I need to be one – I have this inherent drive to make things. It pulses through my veins, and makes me fiercely resistant to the thought of ever giving up the artist title.

When you’ve been making art every week of your life for years, the process of art making gets ingrained in your mind. What may have started as a hobby, or something that was “just for fun,” blossoms into something you can’t live without. It becomes a habit through repetition, and when you finally go without it for a few days, you feel like something is missing from your life – the pangs of art withdrawal. It’s moments like those when I realize I can’t live without being an artist in one form or another. Being an artist is what gives me purpose in life.

Art has also been one of the few constants in my life. Even when times have been tough, like grieving the loss of a loved one or coping with the pain of a broken heart, art has been around for me. During those times, art has not only been a creative outlet, but also a form of therapy that helps me through the days when it’s difficult to stay afloat. I guess you could say that when life gets messy, making artwork is one of the few things that makes sense amid the chaos.

When I was growing up, art had a major role in my life, which is why it makes complete sense that it still does. As a kid, I took art classes at local galleries and whenever it was possible at school. I remember back in high school, it didn’t matter how stressed out I was from my other classes, because I could always count on feeling a great sense of relief when I went to art class. I could momentarily forget all my other worries as I focused on drawing or painting.

Although I went to college for creative writing, I quickly realized that visual art needed to have an active role in my life every year, so I picked up a second major in painting. It was at that time that I realized something – that no matter what criticism I received for my visual art, I was always able to bounce back. Rejection is a pretty tough thing to overcome when it comes to an artist’s work, simply because we are putting ourselves out there when we share our art. And even during the worst critiques, when I felt incredibly sad and didn’t know if I should continue making artwork at all, I’d find myself painting in my room late at night and realize it was meant to be.

As an artist, you would think rejection is something I get used to since it happens often enough in an artist’s career. Although for whatever reason, whenever a gallery has rejected my work, I still find myself wondering if there is any point in continuing to make art. I’m glad that I’ve never given up entirely because of the opinion of a handful of people. No matter what, I’m still drawn to creating something, let it be a collage, drawing, or painting.

So whenever I’m asked why I’m an artist, all I can think is it’s not something I choose to do – it’s something I have to do. I’m an artist because making artwork is what drives me through each day.

One Reply to “Why I am an Artist”

I fully agree with this. As a young artist, I relate to this so much since I don’t think I could live without being one. There’s a need for me to create thigs, to use my imagination and ideas, it’s fulfilling when I do use these. When I don’t, I feel stuck and like I’m not using my purpose in life. Thank you so much for this, and continue what you love to do :).

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Can art change society a responsibility of being ..., how is chatbot technology chan.., can art change society a responsibility of being an artist.

by Leon Collier
18 November
Artists Culture Featured Articles

Most people see artists as individualists who don’t have anything to do with the real world, but is it really the truth? What does art have to do with our society? No one can give a straightforward answer to these questions, but being an artist definitely comes with a certain responsibility and social influence. Unlike politicians or marketing managers, artists don’t have such a clearly defined duty and responsibility, but they definitely impact the world in many different ways.

We will discuss 10 ways artists are changing society and contributing to the well-being of the global community.

Image by Brett Sayles

1. Artists articulate universal emotion

A typical person tends to hide feelings and everyday problems, but that’s where artists step in to articulate universal emotion. We all have our fears, hopes, dreams, and illusions, but it seems like artists are the only ones who can express it clearly.

For instance, you can write amazing college papers, but only a genuine novelist can write stories that have a universal meaning. This is the primary role of all artists – to express human emotion and help us all to feel hope and peace of mind.

2. Artists are there to tell the truth

There are countless socially responsible artists who strongly believe they must tell the truth to the world when everybody else pretends not to see it. Take Banksy as an example because he always finds a way to point out social injustice in a creative manner. Not every artist is as direct and up-to-the-point as Banksy, but the fact remains that poets, sculptors, and other artists are there to remind us in their creative way of the things we can’t or don’t want to see.

3. Artists are breaking the norms

Of course, artists are also in charge of breaking the norms and discovering uncharted territories. They are the avant-garde, individuals whose works are characterized chiefly by unorthodox and experimental methods.

We are not talking about art exclusively. On the contrary, artists are also known for breaking social norms and introducing new behavior patterns to local communities. Their influence can be more or less productive, but artists will always be looking for opportunities to break the norms and guide society.

4. Artists pass on the tradition

This responsibility of an artist is totally different than when they break the norm. And the two do not exclude each other. As a matter of fact, they support and augment each other to generate the only natural synthesis of artistic work. Artists pass on tradition and preserve our cultural norms in various formats. Even when they introduce changes to tradition, they cannot do it without relying on earlier techniques and norms.

5. Artists are pointing out problems

Can you imagine the world without artists who point out and describe some of the most important problems of a given era? Of course, the answer is “no” because it would make the history of art a lot less fruitful. For instance, Picasso’s mural Guernica still stands as one of the major protest notes against fascism. Guernica depicts the massacre of a Basque village in 1937 and it has become a representation of every city ever bombed.

6. Artists bring joy to the world

We must not forget one simple fact – artists bring joy to the world. They have the power to inspire people. They make us laugh, they make us impressed, and they make us thrilled by just looking or listening to their masterpieces. You don’t need to go beyond Ode to Joy , the final movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The song was so popular that it eventually became the official anthem of the European Union. That’s how important art can be to our world.

7. Artists reflect community values

Consciously or not, every artist is reflecting the values of his/her community. They act as passionate analysts of local societies and you can instantly spot it in their paintings, poems, novels, sculptures, and other works of art. This is exactly why it’s so easy to make a distinction between communist artists and their colleagues coming from liberal societies. Of course, you can also see major differences between artworks coming from different cultures, countries, ages, and so on.

8. Artists create a sense of belonging to the community

Artists are also responsible for creating a sense of belonging to the wider community. We are not talking about national communities only, but rather about all groups of like-minded individuals. For example, some artists inspire political groups, while others support different lifestyle groups. This is why you can often hear that rock and roll is a way of life rather than art. We can say pretty much the same thing for every other type of art and artistic community.

9. Artists promote and encourage cultural diversity

It’s hard to imagine a country in the 21 st century that is not multinational and multicultural. As it turns out, artists have a huge responsibility to promote multiculturalism and break the borders of a national mindset. This is why we can say that some artists are the best ambassadors of their countries. For instance, Fela Kuti made people pay attention to the African culture, while Haruki Murakami popularized Japanese literature among young generations of the Western world.

I Want You – James Montgomery Flagg

10. Artists sometimes serve as propagandists

Art sometimes takes the wrong turn and becomes nothing but propaganda, which is why we need to mention it as one of the great responsibilities of modern artists. A famous film director Leni Riefenstahl strongly contributed to the rise of the Third Reich, the same way Sergei Eisenstein helped the Soviet revolutionary propaganda in the first half of the 20 th century and James Montgomery Flagg’s “I Want You” helped recruit soldiers for the first and second World Wars.

The Bottom Line

It’s hard to claim that painters, writers, and other artists have any kind of social responsibility, but they can definitely influence our societies and make the world a better place. An artist can play many different roles, but these can certainly be considered the top of the list of the impact a creative individual can have on their communities, and on society and culture at large.

Leon Collier is a blogger at the nursing essay writing service . He also creates essay writing service reviews and discusses topics such as pop-culture, history, travel, self-development, and marketing. When not writing, you can see Leon behind a book or playing tabletop games with his friends. Follow him on Twitter @LeonCollier12

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165 Artists Essay Topics & Examples

In case you’re writing about contemporary artists or art history, we have a whole lot of interesting ideas for you! Our experts have collected visual art essay topics and examples right below.

🏆 Best Art Essay Topics & Examples

⭐ interesting art topics to write about, 📑 good research topics about art, 📌 simple visual art essay topics, 👍 good artists & art essay topics, ❓ art essay questions.

Artist’s Role in Society: Cultures, Traditions, Ideas, and Moral Responsibilities These artists support the best national ideas and traditions in order to make every society successful. Artists can “encourage their followers to support the best activities and decisions in the society”.
Revolutionary Art in America: Society and Artists This paper will highlight the purpose of revolutionary art in the society and at the same time discuss how revolutionary art has affected art and artists in America.
Art and Society: Goals and Duties of Artists Therefore, it can be asserted that one of the roles of art is to preserve the cultural trait and heritage of a community or society. This is both to the user of the artistic material […]
Responsibility of Artists to Address Social Problems in Their Work In light of the significant power that art and by extension artists hold, there arises the question of whether artists have a responsibility to address social problems through their works.
The Challenges Emerging Artists Are Facing in Emerging Art Scenes The Flemish art period between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries involved significant and dynamic events in the historical mark in the field of artistry.
Leonardo da Vinci – Artist, Scientist, Inventor The painting “The Amo Valley” also portrayed some of the best artistic styles. This talent made it easier for Leonardo da Vinci to produce the best paintings.
Optical Illusion: Technique to Artist and Designer The main aim of this paper is to reveal how optical illusion fascinates and deceives as influenced by art and design spearheaded by artists and designers of the modern day.
Principles of Design in Female Artists’ Works Displayed in the Louvre In Peace Bringing Back Abundance, the level of precision while showing the figures is less intense than in the other painting, which creates a sense of lightness and sanctity.
Social Media and Female Artist Representation Such a project has been facilitated by the emergence of new media, characterized by the emergence of both the internet and social media.
Women Writers and Artists About Social Problems The uniqueness of Mary Cassatt’s style is that she depicts the natural desires and values of women, women, and their hopes.
Great Women Artists in the World History The first overreaching cause of the absence of great female artist throughout history was the subjugated position of women as a gender in the majority of societies.
Art History: A Close Study of a Chinese Artist Cai Guo-Qiang His unique skills in artwork have led to the advancement of his signature in most events. His inspiration has ensured that he remains in the limelight in most of his solo works.
Photography: An Artist Statement In the first image, I arranged the details in the composition to guide the observer through the place I captured by the camera. With the help of the play of the light and shadow, I […]
How and Why Do Advertisers Use Specific Works of Art or Artists to Sell Their Products? The role of the art in the adverts is to give an image to the company and its products. In all the artistic values, the most comprehensive is space as it is a combination of […]
“The Eco Artists Turning Trash Into Treasure” by Webster It is interesting to see how artists can convey the message and bring awareness to the environmental impact of the modern human lifestyle, which generates large amounts of waste and pollution.
Gibran Khalil Gibran-Lebanon Writer and Artist Gibran’s mother settled in Boston together with a young Gibran, his two younger sisters, and his half brother. Holland was a member of the European avant-garde-movement and he acted as a tutor and mentor to […]
Illustrators Artists and Designers They have indeed been a great influence in my interest to art and design and have greatly contributed to the economic growth, political and social enhancement of their nations.
Early Childhood Memories Impact on Artists’ Journey The reason for childhood memories to have such profound importance for the development of one’s artistic style and attributes can be explained by the acquisition of the executive function that occurs during early childhood.
Artist as a Genius: Johann Sebastian Bach Bach’s talent was evident from his mastery of the organ and the violin, as well as the great pieces that he composed.
Arabic Calligraphy and Contemporary Artists Arabic calligraphy is a form of art involving the use of the Arabic language and alphabet. In the old town of Jeddah, for instance, artists have blended Arabic calligraphy with graffiti to create calligraffiti.
Edward Ruscha, an American Artist Ruscha was born in 1937 in Omaha, the largest city in Nebraska, and is currently based in Culver City, California. In 1969, Ruscha also worked as a guest professor of art at the University of […]
Pre-Raphaelite Artists The Pre-Raphaelites artists opted to go back to the aspects of art that involved copious details, complex compositions of Italian and Flemish art, in addition to the use of intense colors.
The Artist’s State of Mind: Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” The painting also has a tree that also stretches to the sky; it is the tallest feature in the village. The choice of color in the painting is also an indication of the painter’s mood.
Modernist Art: Pablo Picasso and Umberto Boccioni Early 20th-century European culture, which was characterized by a growing interest in the avant-garde and a rejection of conventional art forms, fostered the success of both artists, due to the fact that their experimentation and […]
Jiro Takamatsu, a Japanese Artist In “The Temperature of the Sculpture,” Takamatsu may have used the materials and tools available to him to express this change in Japanese society.
The Determinants of Self-Employment for Artists Working in the free art market has advantages: diversity is encouraged, and the artist is not limited to just painting and sketching.
The Discussion of Women Artists For the situation to change, it is important to talk more about artists the heroines of the past, their contemporaries, and their heritage.
Salvador Dali: Artist in the Area of Surrealism Art Salvador Dali was among the most prominent artists in the area of surrealism art. It “balances a rational vision of life with one that asserts the power of the unconscious and dreams”.
Artists Peter Paul Rubens and Katharina Grosse Exemplified by the works of Peter Paul Rubens and Katharina Grosse, artworks have transitioned from the Flemish Baroque to the Gagosian style, where an artist enjoys the interplay of architecture, sculpture, and painting.
Primavera 2021: Young Australian Artists Exhibition It identifies itself with the goals of the Aboriginal population of the country and engages in activities to support their cultural heritage. The institution is also on the frontline to showcase a number of activities […]
Ron English: The Famous Graffiti Artist This paper explores and analyses the aspects of graffiti – a form of painting and the work of one of the most famous and talented graffiti artists.
The Appearance of an Artist The musician’s wardrobe also influences the perception of performance, and it is important for performers not only of popular music, but also of classical music.
Ai Weiwei as a Contemporary Art Artist The meaning of human rights and the destiny of the Chinese people are of primary significance for the artist, so many of his works reflect the issues that Weiwei recognizes and wants to eliminate.
Jean Michel Basquiat and Zainul Abedin as Outstanding Artists The artist’s imagination gives the paintings a magical realism that reflects the actual situations in the world and the spirit of the time the master lived.
Paul Benny’s Work: Artist Presentation Paul Benney’s artwork mainly deals with painting of people’s portraits. The themes of his work touch on issues embraced daily.
An Analysis of Two Works by Digital Artists: Smith and Cutts This artwork is summoned to stress the peaceful nature of the protests and to show the inadequate response on the part of the authorities.
David Hockney: The Pop Artist and His Works The “Day Pool with 3 Blues” is a picture of extreme simplicity, and it is necessary to mention, that the advantage of this particular canvass is the feelings, that arise when the picture is viewed.
An Artist-Entrepreneur’s Lean Startup Therefore, in the case of Sikander, the first key factor in ensuring the success of her project’s business model is having a stable customer base.
DaWangGang Artist: Exploring Music Interculturalism This paper discusses the role and the place of the Chinese musical band Dawanggang in the world that is still defined by the tension between the Occident and Orient.
The Legacy of Artemisia Gentileschi: One of the Greatest Female Artists of the 16th-17th Centuries During her active years, Gentileschi had to face a great deal of adversity and social resistance, which was not unusual for driven and ambitious women of her era.
“The Smoking Plant” Project: Artist Statement It is the case when the art is used to pass the important message to the observer. The live cigarette may symbolize the smokers while the plant is used to denote those who do not […]
Romanticism. Artists Associated With the Movement Art dealt mostly with issues of motive and realism while other forms of art dealt with the darkness of the community on one hand and its magnificence on the other.
Leonardo Da Vinci – The Greatest Artist of Renaissance In the modern day, Leonardo da Vinci is considered by many to be the greatest artist and possibly even the greatest person of all time. The greatness of Leonardo is evidenced by the description of […]
Juan Luis Guerra a Dominican Artist Also, he is predominantly linked with the popular Dominican music genre known as bachata, though partly true, he exploits the elementals of bachata tempo with elements of bolero in his works. The impact of his […]
Artist Willem de Kooning and Critic Harold Rosenberg the Language and Concepts The kind of art the artists in this movement did put America on the international stage and dimmed the light for Paris, which had been the center of art in the world.
Marcelle Ferron and Celine Dion: Canadian Artists Moreso she learnt to be strong and fought for the rights of women and was straight forward in her approaches about life.
Crossover Artists in the 1970s However, if analyze the peculiarities of each style, it is quite easy to find out the difference and be amazed of how rich and wonderful the world of music is.
Colonialism in the Work of Some Artists In the second half of the past century, the American art world shattered the traditional views on the tradition to passively depict the objects.
The Usefulness of Social Art History: Artists and Periods in History In trying to understand the role or relevance of social art in art and design analysis, a particular artist that has been the subject of this debate was Andy Warhol.
Artist-Promotion Relation: Commercialization and Art Through Orlean’s article, the artist-promotion relation, in addition to being a commercially successful marketing move, it could be sensed that the author views this relationship as a step of closing the gap between the art […]
Origin and History of Salsa Music, Greatest Artists It is important to note that the youth loves and have interest in music than adults and this is why salsa was heavily affected.
Tetsumi Kudo Artist and His Artwork “Your Portrait” Artists express their feelings and emotions, their points of view on different events in the past, their views of the future with the help of art.
Andy Warhol: An American Pop-Artist In the process of describing the creative process of Andy Warhol it is evident how closely the word ‘Genius’ is intertwined with their creativity.
European Baroque: Artists, Features, Ideas The style of Baroque was spread all over the European continent in different expressions of art from 1590 and until the beginning of the eighteenth century. Many outstanding artists are representing the style and epoch […]
Angony Rising: Melbourne Native Artist His art is popular because of the way that he is able to reveal his experience through the bold figures and forms of primitive art.
Analysis of Creative Process of Notable Artists In addition, Parody was a fundamental constituent of Bach’s creative process, and the Lutheran Masses are excellent illustrations of that process.
The Rise of Virtuoso Artists in the 18th Century While it is true that ornamentation played a very important role in the early baroque music performance and that it was instrumental to the early sociento style of music, there is no denying fact that […]
Canadian Artists: Emily Carr and Jack Bush My opponents may argue that this is a way of self-expression but in this case, the expressive means are very limited and narrow.
Studies in Contemporary Art and Artists The paper is claimed to review some of the most known contemporary artists, and define the particularities, that may be regarded as mnemonic traces of their arts.
The Origins of Poetry of Famous Americans Artists Realizing this is the origin of his own poems, Whitman may have extrapolated this concept to all poets in the above statement, suggesting that the origin of all poems is in the lives of the […]
Artist Bibliography on Elizabeth Catlett Although she went to the university to study printing she has stated in her earlier interviews that she changed to painting because of the influence of James A Porter.
Tracey Moffatt: Australian Artist Her photography masterpieces are permanently included in the collections of the Tate Gallery in London and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Langston Hughes: Artist Impact Analysis Once this is allowed to happen, Hughes is sure that the brilliance, creativity and spirit of his people will be recognized for the beautiful substance it has as will the contributions the black race has […]
Frida: The Biography of The Legendary Mexican Artist The plot revolves around two prominent events in Frida’s life – the trolley car accident in 1929 that breaks her back and dooms her to a life of excruciating pain, and her marriage to Diego […]
Jenny Holzer as a Contemporary Artist Although she lives and works in New York, her work is known throughout the country for its biting reflections on political issues of the day, coupled with her blatant attempt to involve the average consumer […]
Artists’ Legal Advice Services Definition ALAS has shown to foster collaboration with artists through holding events during which artists share their experiences and ask for the advice of the organization’s team.
The Job of the Artist Is to Always Deepen the Mystery Among a variety of definitions of art, it is possible to say that it is one of the forms of education, and artists become the best educators who use their skills and experience.
Gustave Courbet: Revolutionary Artist of Romanticism While the clergy is visible from the background of the work, the decision by the painter to focus on the dog in the foreground was even more appalling.
Artists in Jazz Music and Dance Development The core areas in this study will include; the presentation, the ensemble, the musical instruments, and the memories of the events.
Collaborating With Artists in the Luxury Brand Industry As the conventional approaches to product development fail to support the concept of exclusivity in the present-day environment, the collaboration of luxury brands with artists comes to the rescue of the very essence of luxury […]
Robert Smithson: Extraordinary Artist The works on the website made me realize that Smithson was a person who paid much attention to the environment and the way it influences and is influenced by the population of the Earth.
Contemporary Female Artists in Turkey The secrecy associated with Islam and gender roles in some parts of Asia has further compounded this mystery because few people know what to make of the place of women in traditional Islamic societies and […]
Decoloniality in Art and Artist as Ethnographer The review is divided into three main sections including the identification of the main arguments and the explanation of their worth, the evaluation of the supportive material and the clarification of methodological framework, and, finally, […]
Pollaiuolo vs. Titian: Two Renaissance Artists Comparison For instance, in the fourteen century and at the beginning of the fifteenth century, “the profile form of a portrait head, largely inspired by antique coins,” was widespread.
Robert Wilson: Artist and His Beliefs It is possible to say that by examining these qualities, one can better appreciate the achievements of Robert Wilson. This is one of the challenges Robert Wilson is ready to face.
Artist Marcel Duchamp and His Works Duchamp claimed that the main purpose of art was intellectual satisfaction; he shared that he was tired from the expression “stupid as a painter,” and that attitude had to be changed.
A.A. Bronson’s Through the Looking Glass: His Personal Identity as a Canadian Artist Thus, his work Through the Looking Glass is the one of the best works that reflect the author’s vision of reality and the one that reflects the author’s sense of Canadian identity.
Living as a Non-Speaking English Artist in English Speaking Country The efficient performance of a non-English speaking artist as well as his or her participation in the growth of the economy of a host English speaking nation is to a larger extent, influenced by cultural […]
Popular Street Artists In an effort to discredit the Bank of England, Banksy satirically replaced the words ‘Bank of England’ with ‘Banksy of England.’ During the Notting Hill Carnival, a certain individual dished out the fake money to […]
A Written Analysis of Other Artists’ Works The composition of the painting The composition of the picture seems to be of a particular importance, as numerous elements of the painting, including texture, forms, lines, etc.show the depth or perspective of the author’s […]
The Life of an Artist: “Just Kids” by Patti Smith Patti never thought of disclosing to anybody the change that had occurred in her relationship with Robert but she discovered that it was important for her to find something different.
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce The most unique aspect of the book is the author’s innovative use of sense to describe the thoughts and feelings of the character.
Melancholy Caused by Fasting: An Artist in the Modernist Period In the personality of the hunger artist, we may notice the generalized character of a modernist artist, and in the actions of fasting, we may recognize the characteristics of modernism as an epoch in history […]
Post-Colonial and Contemporary British Muslim Artists The art presented by these Muslims bears the attitude portrayed by the British society towards them and the Islamic religion as a whole and the artists’ own views on Islam.
Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock: The Revolutionary Modern Artists The essay addresses the contribution of these famous artists to their particular art movements and in general, the world of art.
How Director is Able to Yield Higher Productivity of the Artists? Through the above analysis it could be said that through effective thought-process, observation and thorough planning, a director is able to yield higher productivity of the directors.
Arts and Artists Being Affected by Today’s Realities Arts and artists have inevitably been affected and influenced by advancement in technologies, changes in global communication, and an accelerated tempo of globalization in various ways.
Fu Baoshi as One of the Most Famous Chinese Artists Fu Baoshi is one of the most famous Chinese artists who contributed greatly into the development of the national art. One of his works reveals aspirations of Chinese people who lived in the middle of […]
Artists in Exile: How Refugees From Twentieth-Century War and Revolution Transformed the American Performing Arts, by Joseph Horowitz Knowledge of the type of music in that era is will help in the understanding of the book especially the German way of expressing inner motion.
One Holy Image By Two Great Artists One of the most important themes in the western art is religion, and one of the most inspiring images for may be each of the greatest artists has been the Virgin Mary.
The Contemporary Artists and Their Contributions Since childhood, she admired the work of Mexican and Southwest artists and this drove her to apply their employment of warm colors in her individual paintings.
The Role of an Artist: Anne Deavere Smith and Tod Hackett In comparison to one literary character, Tod Hackett from The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West, Anna Deavere Smith does not want to lose her mind and be guided by the current events; she […]
Artist Report: Antonio Puleo The postures of the children during the photography add strength to the morality theme, which is a major focus in the whole documentary. The process of growing up and sexuality is one of the key […]
Chinese Art (Zhang Hongth: Studio Visit and Artist Talk) In a wide-ranging discussion, he touched on humor, the cathartic value of defacing the iconic image of a dictator, China’s imperiled environment, the dangers of political art in that country, and his feelings as a […]
Madness and Art: Is The Artist a Holy Madman? The members of the movement known as l’Art Brut, and others, drew a connection between art and madness, art and mysticism, and art and outsider status for whatever reason.
To What Extent Do Artists Using Collaborative Strategies Influence Society?
The History of Women Artists During the Early Centuries in Italy
Graffiti : How The Rise Of Graffiti Has Digitally Its Artists
The Importance Of Art As A Guideline For Future Artists
Three Unforgettable Artists Since The 1960’s: Heart, Brian Mc Knight, And Pink
Impressionist Artists Georges Seurat and Camille Pissaro
The Lives of the Painters of Modern Life: The Careers of Artists in France from Impressionism to Cubism
The Lack Of Known Women Artists In Pre Modern Art
Women Artists And The Female Form
The World Through the Eyes of the Artists of the Harlem Renaissance the Early Modern Period
Beneath the Rainbow: Enchanting Stories and Poems from Kenya, Illustrated by African Artists
Comparison Of Musical Artists Rage Against The Machine And Writer George Orwell
The Multicultural Influences of the Silk Road on Artists in the Tang Dynasty
Transformation in the Artwork of Contemporary Artists
Censorship In Music Children Artists Problems
Distinctive Features in the Works of Kazakh and Russian Artists
The Use of the Uncanny by Artists or Designers in Their Work
Conflict & Tension: What Writers Can Learn From How Visual Artists Use Contrast
The Role That Visual Artists Play In Our Modern Day Society
The Importance of the Works of Art by Colombian Artists
Graphic Design: A Superb Career Option For Technology Savvy Artists
The Mexican Artists: The Artists on the Go for the Next Masterpiece
Female Artists And Its Effects On Society
A Graphic Cosmogony: Artists Imagine How the Universe Was Born
How Geographic Differences Influenced American Artists
Kandinsky on the Spiritual Element in Art and the Three Responsibilities of Artists
The Moral Rights of Artists: Droit Moral ou Droit Pécuniaire
The Link Between Artists and Bipolar Disease
The Life and Painting Works of Pop Artists Andy Warhol
Understanding Abstract Art Artist Artists Subject
The Musical Tradition, Impact and Influential Artists of the Blues Musical Style
The Shaping of Renaissance and the Artists During the Period
Visual Artists Transmit the Values and Beliefs of Society
The Portrayal of Female Artists
The Rap Industry Has Been At War With New Artists Trying For Change Raps
An Analysis of the Design and the Importance of Marketing for Post Collegiate Artists
Use Of Art Criticism On The Artists Personal Opinions
An Analysis of Formalist and Avant-Garde Artists in the Modern Art
Why There are No Great Women Artists by Linda Nochlin
Vincent Van Gogh Is One Of History’s Most Famous Artists
How Has African Art Changed and Inspire European Art?
Does the Self Referentiality of Postmodern Art Speak Only to the Elite Audience?
How Did Ancient Greece Emulate the Egyptians and Left an Everlasting Legacy of Science, Art, and Trade?
Can Art Change the Way We View the World?
How Do Anthropologists Interpret Cave Art?
Are Autographs Integrating the Global Art Market?
How Do Architecture, Art, Science, and Spirituality Relate to Each?
Can Art Still Play a Subversive Role in Society?
How Are Science and Art Similar?
Should Art and Music Education Be Included in School Education?
How Did Islamic Beliefs Affect Islamic Art?
What Are the Stages of the Creative Process?
How Does Art Activity Shape Identity?
Can Manufactured Bands Ever Be Classified as ‘Good’ Art?
How Does Art Affect Child Development?
Are Art Works Forgeable?
How Can Art Change the World?
Can Shock Art and Its Development in Time Still Be Considered as Art?
How Can Art Overcome Depression?
Does Art Imitate Life, or Does Life Imitate Art?
How Do Art Critics Challenge and Provoke Artists and Audiences?
Are Photography and Printmaking Art?
How Has Art Changed Since the Middle Ages?
Does Art Influence Culture, or Does Culture Influence Art?
How Has Art Influenced the Views of the Public and Art Establishments?
Are the Aztec Codices Art or Language?
How Do Artists Express Anger and Protest Through Their Art?
Does Gallery Lighting Have an Impact on Appreciation of Art?
How Can Adlerian Art Therapy Impact Sexual Abuse?
Why Is the Modern Art So Bad?
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The Value of Art Why should we care about art?

One of the first questions raised when talking about art is simple—why should we care? Art in the contemporary era is easy to dismiss as a selfish pastime for people who have too much time on their hands. Creating art doesn't cure disease, build roads, or feed the poor. So to understand the value of art, let’s look at how art has been valued through history and consider how it is valuable today.

The value of creating

At its most basic level, the act of creating is rewarding in itself. Children draw for the joy of it before they can speak, and creating pictures, sculptures and writing is both a valuable means of communicating ideas and simply fun. Creating is instinctive in humans, for the pleasure of exercising creativity. While applied creativity is valueable in a work context, free-form creativity leads to new ideas.

Material value

Through the ages, art has often been created from valuable materials. Gold , ivory and gemstones adorn medieval crowns , and even the paints used by renaissance artists were made from rare materials like lapis lazuli , ground into pigment. These objects have creative value for their beauty and craftsmanship, but they are also intrinsically valuable because of the materials they contain.

Historical value

Artwork is a record of cultural history. Many ancient cultures are entirely lost to time except for the artworks they created, a legacy that helps us understand our human past. Even recent work can help us understand the lives and times of its creators, like the artwork of African-American artists during the Harlem Renaissance . Artwork is inextricably tied to the time and cultural context it was created in, a relationship called zeitgeist , making art a window into history.

Religious value

For religions around the world, artwork is often used to illustrate their beliefs. Depicting gods and goddesses, from Shiva to the Madonna , make the concepts of faith real to the faithful. Artwork has been believed to contain the spirits of gods or ancestors, or may be used to imbue architecture with an aura of awe and worship like the Badshahi Mosque .

Patriotic value

Art has long been a source of national pride, both as an example of the skill and dedication of a country’s artisans and as expressions of national accomplishments and history, like the Arc de Triomphe , a heroic monument honoring the soldiers who died in the Napoleonic Wars. The patriotic value of art slides into propaganda as well, used to sway the populace towards a political agenda.

Symbolic value

Art is uniquely suited to communicating ideas. Whether it’s writing or painting or sculpture, artwork can distill complex concepts into symbols that can be understood, even sometimes across language barriers and cultures. When art achieves symbolic value it can become a rallying point for a movement, like J. Howard Miller’s 1942 illustration of Rosie the Riveter, which has become an icon of feminism and women’s economic impact across the western world.

Societal value

And here’s where the rubber meets the road: when we look at our world today, we see a seemingly insurmountable wave of fear, bigotry, and hatred expressed by groups of people against anyone who is different from them. While issues of racial and gender bias, homophobia and religious intolerance run deep, and have many complex sources, much of the problem lies with a lack of empathy. When you look at another person and don't see them as human, that’s the beginning of fear, violence and war. Art is communication. And in the contemporary world, it’s often a deeply personal communication. When you create art, you share your worldview, your history, your culture and yourself with the world. Art is a window, however small, into the human struggles and stories of all people. So go see art, find art from other cultures, other religions, other orientations and perspectives. If we learn about each other, maybe we can finally see that we're all in this together. Art is a uniquely human expression of creativity. It helps us understand our past, people who are different from us, and ultimately, ourselves.

Reed Enger, "The Value of Art, Why should we care about art?," in Obelisk Art History , Published June 24, 2017; last modified November 08, 2022, http://www.arthistoryproject.com/essays/the-value-of-art/.

Basic Composition Techniques

A few easy tips

Categorizing Art

Can we make sense of it all?

The Principles of Design

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How to Write an Artwork Essay

Mining Your Artwork for Meaning and Methods

I was recently in a funk with my artwork from so much sheltering in place and the repetition of my schedule, my meals, etc. I am not complaining; I have it pretty easy compared to many others. But the funk is still the funk! So I listened to the audio version of the New Yorker art critic, Jerry Saltz’s, How to Be an Artist . It worked. And led me to write an artwork essay about my current photo series.

One of his points that stuck with me was about placing one’s art in the current moment and not try to fit it into art standards or methods of the past. He inspired me to embrace my tools, my methods, and my results as being part of my creative commentary on today, for today.

This led me to decide to write an essay about my work. I’ve received a fair amount of praise for my self-portrait photo series, I AM: For the Love of Nature . Still, I felt there was more to it than either I or others had fully grokked.

I developed a process for how to write an artwork essay that uncovered all sorts of delightful gems and it helped me situate my work in the context of other artists who seem to have inspired me, unconsciously, while strengthening my unique statement. Since I’m the sharing type, I’m writing it up here for you to use as you wish for your own work.

Before We Begin the Artwork Essay

Last year I came across (sorry, I don’t know where or from whom!) two questions to ask while looking at your work: 1. What is it trying to say? 2. Who is it for?

This almost instantly unlocked a flood of words for me. Some took the form of titles for each image; others fed directly into the poems I’m writing for each image. If you believe that much art is channeled in a way, that inspirations come from the creative brain as much or more than the structural brain, then these two questions can be a gold mine. Even if we plan the shape and size and color and place of a piece of art, there is “always more to the story” in my opinion. Hence — we have many employed art critics!

I have actually asked a few people to write an essay about my series; this has come up when they are talking to me about it and they SO CLEARLY GET IT. Alas, people are busy and life happens, but my essay did not, so I decided to write this artwork essay — myself. One, I would have the end product and two, I expected I would learn even more about what I have made. Spoiler Alert: it worked so well that I am here encouraging you to try this process, too.

Step 1: Make an index card for each piece in your artwork essay.

photo of artwork title index cards by roxanne darling

I am usually a digital person, preferring to have text info on my computer where I can cut and paste, search and sort. But I’m a huge fan of Elizabeth Gilbert and she talks about her writing process using hundreds of index cards. I also know from a lot of writer training, that the mind sometimes works differently when writing by hand vs. typing. (Do read or listen to Big Magic , by Elizabeth Gilbert. Much longer than Jerry’s book, but also a strong call to believe in oneself and move forward.)

On each card, list the title at the top, then start adding bullet point descriptors. I found after doing a few that I noticed categories: colors, point of view of the camera, size of my body relevant to the landscape, and so on. Your descriptors will be unique for your art. Don’t worry about getting it all down on the first card ; I revisited each artwork a few times as more patterns and ideas showed up during the process.

Step 2: Make an index card for each theme or concept.

photo of artwork themes index cards by roxanne darling

You can actually do this step while you’re doing Step 1. Several of these ideas were familiar to me before I started this. A few new ideas did appear as I was describing each artwork. In any case, I think you’ll want to list these elements on their own cards. I grouped mine on a few cards but next time I think I’ll make a card for each concept.

Step 3: Make an index card for each of your inspirations.

photo of artwork inspiration index cards by roxanne darling

For me, this was a lot of quotes, especially from other artists who I admire and who’ve made work similar to mine. This turned out to be really helpful! Before, this information would rattle around in my brain, not knowing where to land. On a good day, I loved that people compared me to Ana Mendieta or that I compared myself to Anne Brigman . But on a bad day, imposter syndrome sat beside me and sang the “Why bother?” blues over and over in my head.

Getting things out of my head and onto paper allowed my mind to move on to the bigger picture , without worrying I was going to lose or miss something. Also, a lot of the quotes were from articles reviewing the work of an artist I admire. That’s been a rich source of inspiration for me to learn more about the artists I like and to study how to write about art and artists.

Step 4: Get a very large sheet of paper to map out your ideas.

photo of artwork concept map for writing an artist essay by roxanne darling

If you’re doing this all in one session, you can get straight to this step. If you’ve had some time away and are coming back, take some time to read through all of your art and inspiration cards. This will move those details back to the front of your brain.

This part gets a little vague and non-specific, as it’s comparable to making a mind map. So start anywhere. I used a pencil so I could erase something if I wanted or move things around. I started by listing the main themes. As I did this, I could see that there were a few top-level ideas going on. Then I moved on to the ideas behind the themes. I ended up using both sides of an 11×14 piece of sketch paper.

Step 5: Start writing the essay.

The first four steps may be enough to help write a concise project statement or title your images or maybe a short blog post. I wanted a formal document I could send to gallerists and curators, though, so this is where the rubber met the road. I started to write the essay in a text doc on my computer. I had my notes in front of me and filed away each artwork and quote card as I used it, so I didn’t duplicate by accident.

I chose to write in the third person , for two reasons. First, I wanted to look at the work as an outsider could, but with the ability to provide my insider intelligence. Second, and this may be mostly bullshit, I felt the essay would have a more authoritative voice. I’m happy with my decision.

I didn’t exactly track my time on the writing. But I carved out some time to birth the first draft and that took a few hours. I’ve learned not to edit as I write the first draft — it lets the flow power through on its own. I let it sit for a day and then came back to do some editing. Surprisingly, it was in pretty good shape! I shared it with my partner, Shane , who is also an artist and a great proofreader. He thought it was really good. Still, I did two more rounds of edits over the course of a week. They were easy and enjoyable as I refined what I wanted to say and what images I wanted to include.

Voilá! The results.

You can visit the website I made just for this project at I AM: For the Love of Nature .

If you want to check out my essay , it’s here as a PDF. The Freedom to Be Found-in Nature by Roxanne Darling

P.S. For the math nerds: The essay took about 20 hours to make from start to finish. This post in and of itself took me about six hours to create. I hope you find something useful in it. Feel free to email me or chat on Twitter . Shane reminds me there are digital platforms that support this type of process of writing and linking things; if that’s your preference you can check out Obsidian app .

Sometimes people ask, so, yes, of course, you may share this! I’m starting to use Pinterest again. Here’s the pin if you want to save it to any of your boards. I also have tiny share buttons below, at the end of every post.

photo - saying goodbye to my merchandised self by roxanne darling

Being an Artist

October 17, 2013 ·

Alain Briot

Article and Photographs by: Alain Briot

If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, will answer you: I am here to live out loud. Emile Zola

Alain Briot is one of the most successful landscape photographers working in the U.S. today. He was educated at the Ecole des Beaux Art in Paris, has a Masters degree in Fine Art, and is currently working on his Phd.

1-Introduction

This has to be the most difficult essay I have written so far. Not to say the previous ones were easy. Truth is, each essay has become increasingly difficult to write as I progressed towards the end of this series on Photography and Aesthetics and moved from technical considerations, such as Exposure, Film Choice or even Seeing Photographically to more elusive and personality-based aspects of photography such as Selecting Keepers , Creating a Portfolio , and most recently Developing a Personal Style .

As I progressed towards completion of this series I managed to keep in balance the “perilous” act of presenting information coming from personal experience in such a way that this information was useful to those who do not have direct experience with the subject. I feel I succeeded in this endeavor even when discussing something as private as personal style. It was a difficult act, somewhat akin to walking a tight rope, but it was feasible.

When it came to describing what Being an Artist is the difficulty increased ten fold. At first I assumed that I was facing the same difficulties I faced with the previous essays: that I was covering a subject on which little had been written about and for which I had to create nearly all new material. But as I toiled down the road trying to complete this essay I realized that the problem of describing what Being an Artist is was more complex. Why? For 3 main reasons.

First because defining what being an artist is, is a difficult endeavor. By definition artists are difficult to categorize and often defy classification altogether. Therefore any attempt to define what it means to be an artist is bound to be challenging at least and problematic at worst. Eventually there are just as many “definitions” of what Being an Artist is as there are artists. While we may agree on some main common characteristics, how these characteristics are implemented in our lives, the importance we place on one characteristic versus another and what we consider of primary or secondary importance depends on each of us. It varies according to our unique situation, on our personality and on our previous experience. Someone who has been an artist all his or her life does not see being an artist the same way than someone who is just becoming aware that being an artist is a possibility. In the end all artists are unique individuals and each of them has a different idea of what being an artist is.

Second, because being an Artist is not an activity one can do on the side. It is a lifestyle and a profession. While anyone can, to various extent, learn how to see photographically, select keepers, create a portfolio or develop a personal style to name but a few of the aspects involved in doing photography as an art form, being an artist is a choice one cannot make “in passing” so to speak. Being (or becoming) an artist is a decision that requires a high level of commitment.

Third because when I tackled this subject I did not realize how hard it would be to describe what I do on a daily basis. I now know that doing something intuitively and being able to describe it accurately are two entirely different things. I also know, from having written this article, that one can be an artist without being able to precisely describe what being an artist is.

These three difficulties, which I need to point out did not become clear to me until I had been working on this article for several months, troubled me to no end. They troubled me because this whole series is based on the premise that readers will be able to do what the articles describe. It is built on the guiding principle that readers, while maybe new to the concepts introduced in each successive essay, will be able to successfully implement the contents of each essay if they spend the necessary time and effort.

Yet, I had to complete this article and to do so I had to find the necessary freedom to express myself and say what I had to say. To gain access to this freedom I concluded that there was no way I could cover the subject in such a way as to avoid making this article anything else but an educated statement about what being an artist is. I therefore say it loud and clear, right here right now before we delve into the heart of the heart of Being an Artist: this essay represents my opinion of what being an artist is. Your opinion might differ. My way is not the only way and your opinion may be just as valid.

Antelope Canyon Panorama 1

However I place one additional comment on the recognition that I can only write about my own personal experience of being an artist: I have extensive experience being an artist. I have thought about the issues that follow long and hard. I have considered the many aspects of each issue with great care. I have spent a lot of time, years in some instances, weighting the pros and cons of taking a specific position in regards to each of these aspects. Not knowing what those issues are yet you may find this last comment somewhat superfluous. It isn’t but if it so appears at this time I invite you to re-read this introduction after you have completed your first reading of this essay.

Before I conclude this introduction let me say that as you read this essay you need to keep in mind that it was written by an artist. Maybe better than any of what I actually say in it, maybe more important than any of the actual contents I make in this text, is the fact that this essay is an embodiment of the concepts I describe below, an enactment of what I consider to be the main characteristics of an Artist.

What follows are therefore my views of what being an artist is. These views are based upon my personal experience and reflections as well as upon discussions I have had with artists and friends. As you read through it keep in mind that this essay, while a stand alone article, is actually part one of a two part essay. For reasons that I describe below I decided to separate Being an Artist from Being an Artist in Business . This article is the first of these two essays.

Let us now go where few have gone before and dive right into my opinion of what being an artist is all about.

_________________________________________________________________________________

2-Freedom of expression: Let us be artists

There is no must in art because art is free. Wassily Kandinsky

In my previous essay, Personal Style, we saw that personal style is about personality. In this essay we are going to see that Being an Artist is directly related to personality because Being an Artist is about expressing your personality. To put it in a concise manner:

Personal Style is about personality. Being an artist is about being free to express your personality through art.

Feeling free to express what you want to express is central to being an artist and we are going to look at what this means and at how you can find space for creative freedom in your life.

Being an artist is about being free to express your personality through art. Clearly, one can express himself or herself in numerous ways but to be considered an artist one needs to express himself or herself through an artistic endeavor. At this point some of you may remark that this leads to the question “What is art?” It certainly does. However, answering this question is the subject of a completely different essay and I will not tackle it in this article. Let us just say for the present time that photography is an art form, and that we will consider photography as the medium of choice for the purpose of this essay. Clearly, artists can express themselves in a variety of medium so we will also take it as point of departure that while photography is our primary concern we may very well, as artists, be creative in other mediums as well.

This being said, the main difficulty of being an artist, in my estimate, is first feeling free to express yourself and second being free to express more and more of your personality, of your character. Why? Because there are a number of things that stand in the way of achieving this. Let’s look at what those are right away.

People often tell me they want to become artists. However the next thing they say after that is to list all the things they feel they cannot do. The conversation often goes something like this: “I want to be an artist. But, of course, I can’t do this, I won’t do that, I certainly do not intend to go that way” and so on. The problem with this attitude is that even before they actually start on the path towards becoming artists most people limit what they will be able to do as artists. They start their artistic career by limiting their artistic freedom.

Art is about freedom and creative expression. Being an artist is first and foremost about feeling free to create. It is about expressing what is in you, expressing something that potentially others have not expressed before or have expressed in a different way. It is about expressing what you want and maybe even need to express. If you start your artistic career by listing all the things you cannot do you reduce your creative freedom while you really need to expand it.

I consider Antelope Canyon to be one of the areas most conducive tophotographic creativity anywhere. Each time I go there I find myself creating new photographs. This one is no exception as I had never seen this particular composition and light glow before.

I certainly understand that there are subjects that you truly, and for reasons unrelated to creative freedom, do not want to address. I do to. For example, I made the decision a number of years ago to not express negativity in my photographs. However, this does not limit my freedom. Instead, it defines my personality. When I talk about this subject I do not say “I cannot photograph this.” Instead I say “I chose not to photograph this.” In other words I feel perfectly free to photograph negative subjects but I have decided not to cover such subjects at this time. I remain free to change my mind in the future if I chose to. And I know that should I decide to cover these subjects I may create excellent photographs. In other words, and to conclude on this aspect of being an artist, what is at work here is nothing but a personal moral decision not to photograph certain subjects.

As an artist you may make similar decisions in regards to subjects that you find objectionable, styles that you dislike or types of images that you object to. Doing so is normal and expectable as long as it is part of your character.

What is not normal or expectable is to rule out certain things as not feasible because you believe that “only the masters can photograph them,” or because “you are not good enough” or do not have “the proper style for that” or even rule out certain achievements because “you will never get there.” In other words before limiting what you do ask yourself why you are limiting what you can do. Is it because A-you morally object to photographing certain subjects, or is it because B-you feel inexperienced, insecure about your abilities or unsure of the outcome of your efforts? In my estimate reason A is perfectly understandable while reason B needs to be studied carefully. The underlying motivations for reason B need to be exposed and then discarded on the pile of “creative freedom reducing obstacles” that all artists have to contend with.

3- Being an artist is a lifestyle, not a temporary situation.

At different moments you see with different eyes.

You see differently in the morning than you do in the evening.

In addition, how you see is also dependent on your emotional state.

Because of this, a motif can be seen in many different ways,

and this is what makes art interesting.

Edvard Munch

Art is a lifestyle not just an activity. One’s art and one’s life are eventually inseparable. One cannot be an artist without living a lifestyle which is conducive to being an artist:

Being an artist means having a lifestyle that makes creativity and art part of your everyday life

One cannot be creative 8 hrs a day, from 9 to 5. Similarly one cannot schedule “creative time” say from 4 to 5 p.m. every Thursday. While you can certainly write this down in your planner, or in your PDA, whether you will feel inspired on that particular day at that specific time remains to be seen.

Fact is, the muses visit whenever they please and not necessarily during “business hours.” It is therefore very difficult to schedule creative time the way one would schedule a business appointment. Certainly, it can be done. But there are no guarantees that you will feel creative during that time. To guarantee success in your creative endeavors you have to be aware of your creative impulses and design a schedule that works around them, not a schedule that demands that you be creative from 3 to 4 then do paperwork from 4 to 5 and so on.

Being an artist therefore means implementing a lifestyle that favors creativity, impulsion and freedom. Because this may conflict with other activities being an artist means learning how to organize your life so that you can handle these potential conflicts successfully.

Today, and specifically with landscape photography, workshops and photographic expeditions are an excellent way to schedule creative opportunities. A workshop is time you set aside to do just photography, usually in a place away from where you live and with like-minded people who share similar goals and interests. Workshop time is creative time, free from the constraints of everyday life. It is time during which you can focus solely on photography and on creating art. The first and foremost goal of a workshop schedule is to offer as much creative time as possible to the participants.

There is no limit to the number of possible images one can create from any given subject. I have never seen this composition before and responded only to my own creativity when I decided to do a star trail composition at this location.

Your pictures would have been finished a long time ago if I were not forced every day to do something to earn money.

Edgar Degas in a Letter to Jean-Baptiste Faure, contemporary art collector, 1877.

There is a widespread belief that a “real” artist must make a living from his art.

In my view being an artist does not imply making an income from your art. Making an income from any activity, art or other, is being an entrepreneur, a business person, etc. It is not being an artist. In my view, as I said earlier:

Being an artist is about being free to express your personality through art.

You can very well achieve this without selling your art because according to my definition being an artist and making an income from your art are not directly related. One is not a requirement for the other.

Personally I was an artist long before I was making an income from my art and I will still be an artist if I stop making an income from my work. This situation is very common. Children create art without any idea that art can be sold. As they grow up and discover the income potential in their art people make a choice to create and sell their art or to continue creating art without trying to sell their work.

I so firmly believe that making art and selling art are two different activities that, as I also mentioned earlier, I decided to write two articles on the subject of being an artist: Being an Artist , which you are currently reading, and Being an artist in Business , which will be the next article in this series, #11. I made this decision because I needed to separate creating art from selling art.

This understanding came to me because of a question that I am asked quite often: “How can I make it as an artist?” It took me years to realize that this question actually consists of two questions into one. The first question is “How can I be an artist?” The second question is “How can I make an income from selling my art?” These two questions are unrelated. The first question is the subject of this article. The second question, which can be translated as “Am I a business person able to market art?” is the subject of my next article .

Very often, people take the decision to create art and to sell art at the same time. Such a decision makes things twice as difficult because it means learning two professions at once: the profession of Artist and the profession of Art Marketer. I recommend you start by creating art and that later, once you have assembled a portfolio, you decide if you also want to sell art. While doing both at once is possible it will make things twice as difficult and potentially create an extremely stressful situation.

Being able to make a living from selling your art is not what defines you as an artist. It’s what defines you as a business person. Too often the two are considered together. The true test of whether you are an artist or not is not here. The true test of being an artist is finding out if you feel free to express your personality through your art.

Part of my Navajoland Portfolio, and created in 2004, the original idea for this image first came to me in 1987. At the time I only had a 35mm with me when I saw similar clouds hoovering over this rock formation. I had to wait 9 years to witness, and photograph a similar scene, this time with large format.

5- Being an artist does not mean exhibiting or publishing your work

I hear that my friends are preparing another exhibition this year but I must discount the possibility of participating in it since I have nothing worth showing. Claude Monet

Just like being an artist does not mean making an income from your work, being an artist does not mean exhibiting or publishing your work. Granted, many artists, if not most, do publish and exhibit their work. However doing so is not a requirement for being an artist. It is a frequent outcome, and it is a desired outcome for many, but it is not a requirement.

This is especially important to understand if you are just starting a career as an artist or if you find yourself unable or unwilling to exhibit your work for whatever reason. Pressing the issue, by trying to get a show of your work at all costs in a gallery or a museum, and encountering tremendous difficulties while trying to achieve this goal, can be very discouraging and may erroneously lead you to conclude that doing art is not for you.

I say “erroneously” because what you are experiencing is lack of success in organizing a show of your work. It is not lack of success in creating art. Since we have seen that creating art is central to being an artist your success at being an artist is actually quite high since, supposedly, by the time you are trying to have a show of your work you should have created enough artwork to fill the exhibition space you have in mind.

You may argue that the reason why you are not successful at having people agree to show your work is because your work is not good enough. This may or may not be true. There are numerous reasons why a gallery, a museum, or other exhibition space may not want to organize a show of your work. These reasons include, in no particular order, the fact that your work may not be the kind of work they usually exhibit, the fact that their exhibition calendar is filled several years in advance, the fact that they only exhibit artists whose name is already well known, the fact that your work is not matted and framed and that they do not want to cover this expense, the fact that they believe, rightly or wrongly, that your work will not sell, and so on. Note that these reasons have nothing to do with the actual artistic quality of your work. Instead, they have everything to do with either the business side of photography, something we will address in the next article, or with the concept of audience, something we will address right away in the section below.

Monument Valley Shadows

This lighting situation occurs only twice a year, and can only be witnessed and photographed if there are no clouds. I have seen other photographs showing only the Left Mitten but I wanted to photograph both together to show the cause and effect behind this light phenomena.

6- Being an artist means having an audience

There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.

Ansel Adams

The concept of audience is problematic to many students. When I taught English 101, at NAU in Arizona and MTU in Michigan, I had the hardest time in the world getting students to understand that they needed to write for a specific audience. When asked who was going to read their papers they inevitably answered “anyone who feels like reading it.” What they meant was that I, as the teacher, was their reader. Who else was going to find and read their papers? Since this was not the answer I wanted to hear I had them describe a specific reader as closely as possible, down to the clothes this reader wore, the job this person had, the car that person drove, the house – you get the point. Yet, they continued to write for me because, eventually, I was the one who they believed had control over their grade.

We are now past English 101and it is tempting to find this story amusing. However, let me ask you this question: who is your audience? Who do you photograph for, who do you want to look at your photographs? Often, when I ask this question during a workshop, participants tell me that they photograph just for themselves. They tell me that they enjoy the photographs they create and that they are not concerned with what anyone else thinks. Yet, invariably, those who give me this answer bring prints to the print review for me, and all other participants, to look at and comment upon.

Conflict often indicates problems and there clearly is conflict in the above account. If you only create work for your own enjoyment then why wonder what others think of it? Personally, I don’t have a problem with any photographer creating work just for themselves and never showing their work to anyone else. But, I do have a problem with someone making this statement then asking for feedback from people, be they workshop participants or other.

I also have on occasion photographers who tell me, just like my English 101 students, that they photograph for whomever wants to look at their work. Just like my 101 students, they are at a loss when asked to define a specific audience and retract to the position that they are not discriminative, don’t try to rule any one out, and that they photograph for all those who may find their work interesting. Yet, when asked who they show their work to, or who has a chance to see their work, it turns out that their audience is severely limited to either family members, other photographers, or a small group of individuals accessible because of their profession.

In regards to the above account here is what Al Weber, personal friend and long time workshop assistant to Ansel Adams, has to say about the subject. I think Al’s statement says it as well as can be said:

No artist can reach every person out there. It is common knowledge that the most successful artists are those who have a known audience and can communicate directly. Trying to please or talk to everyone would be the same as making post cards to look at while eating a TV dinner.

in Photographic Novels, the work of Martin Blume . May 2000

I also see a problem with photographers claiming to be artists yet saying they do not need an audience. Why, because, in my view, in addition to the previous partial definition of what being an artist is,

Being an Artist is sharing your view of the world with a specific audience.

This is true even if you are sharing it with an audience of one. Why? Because being an artist is sharing your vision with others . You can argue that you are your own audience, that you only aim at pleasing yourself and that you do not care if anyone else sees your work. That is fine and I don’t have a problem with it. But according to my view – that being an artist is, among other things, sharing your view of the world — then if you are your own audience, and you do not show your work to anyone else whatsoever, you are not an artist, i.e. someone who makes art. If you think about this carefully you will find out that there few people actually fit in this category. Virtually all of us show our work to other people, no matter how few. You will also realize that in fact, when someone says they are their own audience and do not want to know what others think of their work, what they are really saying is that they are either afraid of what others might say or not willing at this time to face comments about their work.

Eventually as artists we are indebted to our audience because we need an audience to communicate with. Being an artist is about sharing and having an audience is being able to share our work with others. As such we are indebted to our audience for giving us the opportunity to share our work and our endeavors, for being willing to listen to us and for engaging in the dialog that we engage in through art. But above all, and with all due respect to our audience, artists eventually owe their loyalty to the pursuit of their vision. It is therefore important to remember that, as you pursue your vision, your audience can and may change to reflect your own changes in style, approach, presentation, etc.

7- Being an artist means having an appreciation for the arts

Without poets, without artists, men would soon weary of nature’s monotony.

Guillaume Apollinaire

There is a widespread belief in our society that being an artist is not having a real job and that there is no real use for artists in society as opposed to doctors, lawyers, engineers, or any other “accepted” profession.

One of the purposes of this essay is to challenge this belief. First, as we have seen, being an artist does not imply making a living from your art. This negates the belief that artists need to get a real job. They may already have a real job! Second, we need to acknowledge the fact that art is just as important as any other aspect of our lives. What would our lives be without art? What would our existence be if we did not have music, if we did not have movies or theater plays, if our walls were bare of any paintings, drawings, photographs, or any other type of dÅ½cor, if our public parks or private gardens were devoid of landscaping and outdoor sculptures, or if wearing jewelry was not an option, to name but a few of the instances in which art is present in our lives. Clearly, art is as important as any other aspect of our lives. The first step towards being an artist is to understand this. You cannot be an artist unless you value art and the importance art plays in everyday life.

To me being a professional is being able to follow the standards required by a specific profession. In other words, and to take examples from professions other than art, it would be preposterous for one to say “I am an engineer” without having the education, the training, the experience, the job position, the responsibilities, etc. that are expected of an engineer. In other words, being an engineer is more than just saying that you are an engineer. Being an engineer is being able to prove, through your actions, performance and professional conduct that you have the required knowledge, experience, abilities, training, etc. to do the work expected of an engineer. The same applies to any other profession.

The first time I saw the unique lighting situation depicted in this image I did so only seconds before the sun disappeared below the horizon. As a result I could not capture it except as a snapshot using a handheld digital camera. I returned 6 months later, knowing the lighting conditions would be similar, and had my 4×5 setup and ready although the weather was overcast. Seconds before sunset the sun came out then disappeared after a minute or two. This image shows what happened while the sun was out that evening.

Interestingly expectations are different when it comes to artists. Why? Because most people are unclear about what the requirements. the training, the education, the experience, the job position, and the other responsibilities of an artist are. They are unclear about it because the professional responsibilities of an artist are rarely discussed, because artists represent a minority and because what being an artist entails is something that few people are familiar with. They are also unsure of what makes an artist a professional because this is rarely discussed even less listed as a set of rules.

Let’s outline several things that make an artist a professional artist, in no particular order:

– Education – Training – Dedication – Skills – Achievements – Responsibilities – Professional position – Integrity

When looking at this list it becomes clear that these requirements, in their general nature, are no different than the requirements of any other profession. What is different is not the fundamental requirements that are asked of an artist. What is different is how people perceive what being an artist is all about.

In the light of the above remark it becomes important to make sure that people take you, as an artist, seriously. If people do not consider being an artist a legitimate activity, and therefore do not take you seriously, they will not respect you, will not respect your work and will therefore not enable you to succeed. Instead they will undermine what you do and work against you. If you cannot change the mind of such people get away from them as fast as you can. Don’t push the issue, just let them be. Seek people who understand what being an artist is about, people who respect you, take you seriously and are willing to help you.

It is also important that you do not feel guilty about being an artist, about your creative freedom, or about doing what you like instead of getting a “real” job. Being an artist is just as difficult as any other occupation, if not more difficult. There is nothing about it that makes one more privileged, or more fortunate, than if one had chosen another occupation. When someone tries to make you feel guilty it is nearly always because they are not happy doing what they are doing and hence jealous that you are doing what you like. This is a reflection of their choices, not of yours. There is no reason to feel guilty about having made the right choices for yourself. If anything, tell them to make different choices, to change their lives so they stop resenting what you do and start doing what they like, so they let you live your life without feeling the need to make you feel guilty about it.

It is essential to do the same subject over again, ten times, a hundred times. Nothing in art must seen to be chance, not even movement.

Edgar Degas

The belief that those who are successful are lucky is quite widespread and artists are particularly plagued by it. I have yet to find an engineer being regularly accused of “being lucky” with his or her engineering. Bridges, cars, buildings, power plants, machines, computers, software, etc. are rarely said to be the result of plain luck. Most people realize, without being experts, that a lot of thinking, knowledge, training, effort, know how, planning, money and more are behind any successful engineering endeavor.

However, when it comes to art in general and to photography in particular, luck is very often cited as the reason behind the existence of a particularly stunning image or series of images. At shows and exhibitions, or during personal conversations, I regularly hear statements such as: “I guess you just hang out at (place your favorite location here, let’s say for now the Grand Canyon) and get lucky.” Or, “You can’t plan that (meaning a rainbow, lightning strike, snowstorm, etc.). You just have to be lucky to be there and have everything work right for you.” Or, “Luck plays a big part in what you do, doesn’t it?”

By extension the belief that “luck does it for artists” extends beyond the artists’ creations and right into the artist’s life. In this regard it is common for me to be told: “You are lucky to be doing what you like. I, on the other hand have to __ or, “You are lucky to make a living doing what you like. I on the other hand, have to …”

I used to argue endlessly about the lack of validity of the comments above. In fact, I built a library of quotes, remarks and smart comments about the uncanny nature of luck such as “luck favors the prepared mind”, “luck is preparedness in the face of expectation”, “The older I get the more lucky I seem to become”, “I wonder why I am so lucky and you are not” and so on.

Last year I finally saw the light, so to speak, and made a decision which transformed my existence. I decided, quite simply, that in regards to luck resistance was futile and that it was better to subsume rather than eternally argue a moot point. I therefore gave up my arsenal of counterpoint quotes about the nature of luck and adopted a very simple response to any and all statements about me being lucky in any and all aspects of my life: “yes”. Today, when I hear any of the above statements my answer is automatically a resounding “yes.” “Luck plays a big part in what you do, doesn’t it?” “Yes.” “You can’t plan that, you just have to be lucky. Right?” “Yes.” “You are lucky to do what you like, me, on the other hand _” “Yes.” “You are lucky making a living doing what you like, most people have to _” “Yes.”

Two things happened after I switched to “yes” as the answer to the assumption that success as an artist is the result of plain luck. First, I freed myself from the desire to argue the point. When you agree 100% to something there is no argument possible. I agree, therefore you are right, case closed. Second, these conversations now end just as fast as they start. Obviously those who make such comments about luck are interested in seeing what my reaction will be and when they realize that I agree with them they lose interest.

But something else happened which I find to be the most interesting consequence. After hearing me say yes a number of people go back on their initial statement and start to say things such as “Well, I guess it’s not that simple.” Or “Luck is only part of it, you have to know what you are doing.” In other words, they make the case I used to make themselves. From my unwavering “Yes” answer, my lack of concern for arguing the point, my agreement to their preposterous statements, they deduct –rightfully so- that something is up and they go back on their statement, amending it ever so slightly.

My point is that if someone is willing to believe that the results of a lifetime of study, passion, devotion, efforts and much more are caused by pure and simple luck there is nothing I can do about it. To destabilize such a belief will take more time and effort than I am willing to spend. I much prefer to save my energy to create art. Laughter, in this instance, is the best remedy. Let’s laugh at the preposterousness of this statement, and let’s laugh by agreeing with it.

And then, after all, maybe I am lucky? Who knows and who cares. Does that change anything? No! I still have to know what I am doing, I still have to do everything I was doing so far, I still have to have the knowledge, experience, passion, devotion, drive etc. that I need to have in order to do what I do. Maybe I am lucky? Well, if so, great. I’ll take it because it can’t hurt. Why fight it? Why not free myself from the belief that my art has to be the result of hard work? If certain people want my work to be the result of luck I see nothing wrong with it. After all, luck maybe just another term for inspiration.

The final point in this regard is that it doesn’t really matter to me, as an artist, how good art comes about. What matters is that it does come about and that it exists. That some people explain the creation of art through luck is fine with me. That others explain art as being the result of talent is fine with me. That others explain it as being the result of fortuitous situations is equally fine with me. That others say that thanks to my parents I led a sheltered life and therefore was able to preserve my artistic sensibility is similarly fine with me. And if some want to believe that it is the result of years of training designed to foster an inherent talent, that is also fine with me. In short, any and all explanations about how art comes about are fine with me. Why? Because I am an artist, not an art critic. How this position plays out is the subject of the next section in this essay.

I have photographed this arch in numerous different lighting conditions, but this is my first successful image with the light shaft going through the arch. The creative possibilities offered by Antelope Canyon are endless and the technical difficulties offered by the location offer a true challenge to any artist.

The painter must enclose himself within his work; he must respond not with words, but with paintings.

Paul Cezanne

Being an artist and being an art critic are two different professions. When you are an artist and show your work to your audience, people will write, talk and make comments about your work. Don’t fear this, welcome it. Avoid labeling your work or explaining it too much for in doing so you remove the mystery that others perceive in your work. Allow the viewer to interpret and discover the work for themselves. Provide an open door through which people can look at your work in different ways. Keep the window open for your audience to interpret your work. It goes along with claiming one’s freedom and with providing this freedom to your audience as well.

As we have seen being an artist is defined by the ability to create art and live a lifestyle conducive to art. Now what defines being an art critic? For me being an art critic, when looked at as a whole and from a distance, is having an opinion about what is good and bad art. In some ways, being a critic is seeing the world in black and white, as a dichotomy, in terms of what the critic likes – and is therefore “good” – and what the critic dislikes – and is therefore “bad.” Being a critic is not about shades of grey, about nuances, about slight variations between tones. It is about sharp demarcations, about taking sides – about being critical.

Certainly, being an art critic is also, and ideally, being knowledgeable about the history of art, about art theory and, in respect to the visual arts, about visual art theory. A good art critic will be intimately familiar with the writings of Roland Barthes, John Berger, Walter Benjamin, Edwin Panovsky and many others. But one can have read all these authors and not necessarily be a critic, as we are going to see.

At this point you may want to say “I can do both. I have knowledge of art history and theory, I have an opinion about what art I like and dislike. I like to share my opinion with others and I think that all this is part of being a well-rounded artist.” You can say that and if you do you are 100% right. All this is true.

However what matters is who you are. Are you first and foremost an artist, or are you first and foremost an art critic? That is the real question and it is for you to answer, not for me. I know that, personally, I am first and foremost an artist. However, as I just said, I am very well read in art theory having worked on a PhD. in Visual Theory, having a comprehensive knowledge of both the history of art and the history of photography and having spent countless hours reflecting upon what is art as well as studying the work of many other artists in numerous mediums.

I also have an opinion regarding what art I like and don’t like. Notice that I don’t say “an opinion about which art is good or bad.” To me, that is for the critics to decide. Personally, I know what I like and don’t like. That is all.

Finally I have a desire to share my opinion in these matters. However, I don’t do this as a critic either. I do this as a teacher and as an artist who wants to share his knowledge. Again, I am first and foremost an artist, then a teacher knowledgeable about art theory and history. What I am not is a critic. As I said who you are is for you to decide. My goal is to help you make the distinction between artist and art critic, not decide which one you are.

Now you may add that many artists are highly critical of their work. And you may ask “does that make them art critics?” My answer would be that it depends how their critical outlook on their work manifests itself, what shape this outlook takes, what appearance it presents.

Let me explain. It is normal, expected and encouraged for an artist to reflect on his or her work. After all, this is how we progress, evolve, and move forward in general. We need to be able to say “If I did this again I would do things differently. I would try this other approach for example.” Or we need to be able to say, “I wish this cliff wasn’t so red, or this water so blue, and I intend to change that.” But notice that we make these comments to ourselves or to others only in passing, as if we were thinking aloud. This is part of the process of growth that all artists experience.

It becomes a different matter when such comments about one’s work are made in public. Imagine an artist giving a talk at the opening of a gallery show of his work and imagine hearing this artist say that his work isn’t very good because he wishes he had done this and that differently, that the work would be better if he had got the foreground sharp instead of blurry, that he would have a much better print quality if he had used ImagePrint instead of the Epson print driver and so on. This attitude, which it turns out is rather commonplace, is not part of being an artist. Instead, such an attitude is indicative of an artist who has become his own critic. My point is: do your art and leave the critique to the critics! Don’t do their job for them. If your points are valid, if the “flaws” you are concerned with are indeed visible in your work, let the critics find out about it. They should be able to see them. If they don’t see them your concerns are most likely to be due to fears rather than to actual shortcomings in your work.

The point is that what you are so concerned about may not matter at all to your audience. These “defects” that you are pointing out may be more the result of your own lack of confidence, your own insecurity, than the result of actual shortcomings on your part. The thing is that no matter where we are from a technical or artistic standpoint, we can all improve and get better. In that sense there is always something that needs improving, something that is not working as well as we wish. Let it be and let the critics find out about it. It is their job. Your job, as an artist, is to create art. The job of a critic is to critique art. While you may be aware of your own shortcomings, keep them to yourself. Why? Not because doing so is “hiding the truth” or being dishonest about your art. It is not. After all, what you have done is visible to all in your work. It is hard to hide the contents of visual arts since by definition it is after all, visual! No. Keep it to yourself because bringing attention to what you perceive as “defects” will in turn bring your audience’s attention to that aspect of your work and very possibly reduce their enjoyment of your work. You see, they may never have seen it if you hadn’t mentioned it, but now that you did they can’t think of anything else.

I recommend you let the audience, and the critics, be the judge. I also recommend that when you talk about your work you focus on positive things and not on what you think you did wrong or what you think doesn’t work. When you listen to what people have to say about your work you will be surprised at how few actually share your concerns. You will also be surprised at what else they see that you didn’t notice, probably because you were so absorbed in finding out all of your “mistakes.” Don’t forget that mistakes are the foundation of art. As Picasso said the goal is not to prevent mistakes but to foster them.

Another example of how Antelope Canyon can be continuously rediscovered if one visits this incredible place with fresh eyes and an open mind. For this essay I have purposefully selected a large number of photographs from Antelope Canyon to illustrate the fact that certain places foster creativity more than others.

10- What about talent?

Genius is the ability to renew one’s emotions in daily experience.

I once had a discussion with two friends. One said “Art cannot be taught.” The other said “Art can be taught.” They asked me my opinion. I said they were both right because while talent cannot be taught there is a lot one needs to learn about art before one can make use of their potential talent. Granted, talent may arguably be responsible for making a huge difference in the final outcome, in the creation (or lack of) of a masterpiece. However, without the required artistic knowledge on which to base one’s potential talent no work of artistic value will be created.

So what is talent? In a way talent can be defined as being:

The ability to make the best artistic use of the resources available to you at a specific time.

Talent by definition involves competition. Why? Because how can you tell you are talented without comparing yourself with those you believe are not talented? Similarly, how can you be more talented than others if you do not compare yourself to others? Mozart was, or so we are told, more talented than Salieri. Dali offered himself as the leading painter of the Surrealist movement and as, or so we were asked to believe, the one whose talent was showing the way. Others, such as Magritte, followed suit. Ansel Adams and Edward Weston “traded paint”, so to speak, with the generally accepted conclusion that while Weston was unquestionably a pure artist, Adams had a more well-rounded set of skills which eventually allowed him to gain fame and fortune while the later eluded Weston all his life.

Was Mozart more talented than Salieri, Dali more talented than Magritte, Adams more talented than Weston, or vice versa, for each of these three pairs of artists? Fact is, we don’t know, can’t tell and are left with personal opinions about which artist(s) we like or dislike. Talent cannot be quantified. One has it or not, it is about that simple. Any discussion of talent, when it comes to comparing artists of a certain caliber, is eventually an exchange of opinions and not a scientific conversation.

Talent is present in all disciplines, not only in art. Talent is eventually that “spark” that some have and others don’t. It is this elusive quality that makes all the difference between something good and something great. It is the ability to use available resources in a way that no one else has thought of, whether that use is more creative, more all-inclusive, more thorough or something else altogether. Talent has different names in different disciplines. For speakers and writers it is eloquence. The story of Demosthenes, a gifted orator in Ancient Greece who learned to overcome stuttering by practicing speaking with pebbles in his mouth, shows perhaps better than any other story the relative importance of talent versus physical limitations as well as the importance of talent versus training. Cyrano de Bergerac, whose eloquence is at the epicenter of Edmond Rostand’s story, overcame a physical malformation, namely a huge nasal appendage, by learning to make fun of himself better than any of those who were trying to ridiculize him.

In many disciplines talented practitioners are simply referred to as gifted, or as brilliant, or again as geniuses. What is similar in all professions is the lack of a specific definition, the absence of a consensus of what this gift, this brilliance, this genius actually consists of. Talent, eventually, is a mystery. While we enjoy its presence and its outcome we can say but little about its implementation.

But what are those “resources” that talented individuals make better use of than common mortals? It depends of the field you are involved in since talent is present in any discipline. There are talented engineers, talented accountants, talented racecar drivers, pharmacists, masons, mechanics, etc. And of course there are talented artists, working in all artistic mediums.

So what makes a talented photographer? Well, for one, as the story I first told shows, talent is but little without technical excellence. Why? Because talent cannot make up a lack of knowledge. If talent is being able to best use the resources available to you at a given time, then you have to learn exactly what those resources are made of and how they can best be used. You have to become the expert in what those resources consists of. Then, and only then, can you go above and beyond what anyone else has done so far with those resources.

What is too often the case in art is believing that talent alone will make up for any and all shortcomings. It will not. Talent is not a remedy for lack of knowledge, lack of study, lack of work, lack of passion and so on. Talent is the icing on the cake so to speak. You have to have a “cake” for talent to shine. Talent is inspiration, imagination, thinking out of the box (or inside if you drive a Scion ; -) , etc. Talent is the ability to exceed your limitations and those of your equipment, within limits. If you follow Formula One racing you know that no amount of talent on the part of a driver will allow that driver to turn a Minardi into a Ferrari. One may become the best Minardi there is only to be outdone (greatly) by a less talented driver in a Ferrari. That’s just the way things are. It is not necessarily fair, but it needs to be understood for what it is.

I have been asked why I photograph Antelope Canyon so much and not other comparable places such as, say, The Wave, a favorite of many photographers. Simply because I see no limit to creativity in Antelope while I find other locations more limiting, at least at this time.

11- Skill enhancement exercises

Exercises for this article are somewhat more challenging than for the previous articles in this series. This is because, as I explained in the introduction, this subject is far more involved and requires a more important commitment on your part.

Nevertheless I planned the exercises below so that they prove helpful towards helping you discover if you are an artist or help you become a more well-rounded artist, whichever your situation may be.

A-Write an artist statement.

There is nothing quite as useful as explaining why you do what you do, how you got to be where you are, and where you plan to go from here.

B-write a history of you as an artist

Do a “history” of your life as an artist. Find old drawings, photographs, sculptures, paintings or any other artwork that you did over the years, from the time you were a child until today, and put them together in a collection. If you no longer have these drawings describe them in writing as well as you can, on a single page of paper, and add this page to the collection in place of the original. Better, re-create the missing piece now, as best as you can. It will be different from the original but this re-creation may lead to some interesting artistic breakthroughs.

C-Portrait of the artist as a young man (or woman)

Describe yourself as you were (or as you remember yourself) when you just started your artistic career. The exact age you were at that time will vary from one person to the next. This may be you as a young child, or you as a young adult, or you at middle age, or later, or earlier, or at some other time. This is personal, but what matters is that you describe yourself as precisely as you can – the way you looked, what you thought, what your dreams were, your goals were, your aspiration were at that time. This is a sort of “resurfacing” process, a sort of going back to the source, of remembering what things were like back then, before the baggage of life accumulated upon you, upon your goals, your aspirations, your dreams, etc. It is a return to the source, to the spring of inspiration, and the key to this return is your memories of this past time. Make these memories as vivid as possible in your description. If you do not feel like writing then draw, or paint, or create a musical piece, or a sculpture, or anything else that embodies your memories. Do not let the disappointments of life, the many turns and twists that your existence took between then and now, prevent you from making as complete a description as you can. You need to return to the state in which you were back then.

D- Make a list of the misconceptions you had about art before reading this article.

E- Do you hesitate about whether to be an artist or not? If yes, what stops you from becoming an artist? Make a list of what stands in the way.

F- What is your position in regards to “Being Lucky”? Have you been told by other people that you are lucky in regards to your photography? Do you think you are lucky? Take time to reflect upon this issue. Specifically, consider how your position in regards to luck influences first your own work and second the way you look at the work of other artists.

G- Go out and create the photograph(s) you have always wanted to create. Do it right now! We all have photographs, or artwork, that we have wanted to create for a long time but have been waiting until “we get better at it” to create. With this exercise I ask you to wait no longer and instead go out and create this artwork or photograph right now. Don’t hurt yourself and don’t do anything silly, but do face your fears and the reasons you haven’t’ created these images yet. In my estimate the only true manner to face these fears is to go out and do it. Art is about creating, not about thinking when we are going to create. So go out and create the one image, or the images, you have wanted to create for years. I know it isn’t easy but if not now, then when?

This is my most creative photograph from a location I visit just as often as Antelope Canyon. It is also the least “classical” in the sense that to include the flowering bush I had to hide half of the Horseshoe Bend. However, in doing so I created tension and conflict in the image while inviting a visual comparison of circular shapes: the flowers in the foreground and the Horseshoe Bend in the background.

12- Conclusion

We live in a world that fosters the technical rather than the artistic, the mechanical rather than the organic and a financial rather than a mechanistic approach. Art goes against all of that. While it can have a technical aspect, such as digital photography has, art is eventually about expressing yourself, about what inspires you, about sharing your view of the world with others. What medium you use, as well as all the technical intricacies of this medium, eventually fade away when compared with the message expressed in your work. Who knows the size of the chisels used by Michael Angelo and whether they were made of hardened steel, Damascus steel, or some other metal. Only experts know which film Ansel Adams used to create Moonrise, Hernandez, NM. I am sure you can find additional examples to further this argument. If you can you know how little people will care10 years from now about whether you used Microdrives or Compact Flash cards to store your Raw files. Case closed.

We also live in a world that loves placing boundaries on what we do. By definition being an artist is not having boundaries about what we can create. However, this is less and less the case these days due to the limitations that artists impose or see imposed upon them. During a recent workshop, while talking about my Paris photographs, I was asked what was my definition of landscape photography. My answer was “just about any subject that is found outdoors.” This question surprised me until I realized that it emerged out of the perceived conflict between my wilderness landscape photographs and my Paris (or other cities) landscape photographs. I had never perceived this as a conflict as I consider the Natural Landscape and the Urban Landscape (to simplify) as being both Landscape photography. However, to a “purist” I suppose there can be a difference. Not to me though, and that is my freedom to decide. A lot of photographers feel bound by similar limitations. If you are not free to create, how can you be creative? And if you are not creative how can you be an artist?

On a different level art cannot be judged by how much money it brings back to you. Whether you make no money at all, or make an obscene amount through the sale of your art, are not accurate commentaries on the actual artistic quality of your work. I have experienced both, and I know that neither situation was generated by the quality of my work. The artistic quality of your work, and the amount (or lack) of money your work generates, are two separate things.

Finally art is by nature a mechanistic activity. I believe one doesn’t choose art as a career. Instead, art chooses us, for better or for worse as they say. In this regard you have to make the best of a difficult situation and in this endeavor several options are open to you. You can decide to try and make a living with art. Some are very successful at this, and in this respect I can only send you back to paragraph two, above, of this conclusion.

You can also decide that art is something you want to do for yourself and for a limited audience, without trying to make money with it. That is a fair decision, one that will go a long way towards protecting your artistic sensitivity from the school of hard knocks that you will be forced to attend should you want to make an income from your art. That decision will also go a long way towards freeing a lot of your time from activities such as marketing, salesmanship, show attendance, record keeping, taxes, and other activities that are required of you as an artist in business.

You can also decide that art is art, that it is your “sacred haven” the part of you no one but a select few will ever get to see. You can decide to shun the public spotlight, the t en minutes of fame promised by the media that lure many of us towards creating a public identity and presence. This last choice, which in a sense is at the opposite extreme of the “art for riches” approach, is maybe the one that will give you the most creative freedom. Whether the results of this choice are worth it or not is for you to decide.

Finally, keep in mind that art is supposed to be a fun and creative endeavor. If doing art is stressful, problematic, gives you headaches and keeps you awake at night you are definitely not doing it right. You need to free yourself from what is stressing you out when you are trying to be creative.

I mentioned the expression artist in business and in this essay I made a sharp distinction between being an artist and making a living from your art. This is because I truly believe that those are two entirely different activities. The former involves being an artist while the later involves being a businessman. I therefore decided, as I mentioned already, that the 11 th article in this series will be “Being an Artist in Business”. If this sounds like something you want to read, or if you have any comments on this article, make sure to drop me a line at [email protected]

In the meantime, as all the other installments so far, this series continues to be a suivre.

Alain Briot Peoria, Arizona April 2005

You can now find all my articles, in PDF format, on my Briot’s View Articles CD-1 and my Alain’s Marketing CD-1. Both can be ordered from my website at http://www.beautiful-landscape.com or by emailing me at [email protected] or by calling me at 800-949-7983 or 623-561-1641.

_________________________________________________ Other Articles in this Series _________________________________________________ © 2005 Alain Briot Beaux Arts Photography http://www.beautiful-landscape.com [email protected] ___________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________

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8. Being an Artist Is an Art in Itself : On the ‘First Work’ and the Notion of ‘Oeuvre’

Published: July 2022
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Institutional art theory can explain how a work becomes 'art', but not how a person becomes an artist, that is, acquires the authority to effectively occupy the position of artist. One must start pretending to be an artist until others believe so. This makes it understandable that, against institutional art theory, the romantic myth of 'natural' artistry nonetheless persists. The myths of the 'first work' – these always fabricated as ‘first’ after the fact - serve to affirm retroactively the artistic talent and a ‘natural’ artistic vocation, prior to institutionally recognised artistry.

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James Baldwin on the Artist’s Struggle for Integrity and How It Illuminates the Universal Experience of What It Means to Be Human

By maria popova.

“The Artist is no other than he who unlearns what he has learned, in order to know himself,” e.e. cummings wrote in his wonderful forgotten meditation on what he called “the agony of the Artist (with capital A).” No artist — whatever the case — has captured both the agony and the rewards of that unlearning more beautifully than James Baldwin (August 2, 1924–December 1, 1987).

In the fall of 1962, shortly after he penned his timelessly terrific essay on the creative process , Baldwin gave a talk at New York City’s Community Church, which was broadcast on WBAI on November 29 under the title “The Artist’s Struggle for Integrity” — one of the most insightful and rousing reflections on the creative life I’ve ever encountered, later included in the altogether magnificent Baldwin anthology The Cross of Redemption: Uncollected Writings ( public library ).

Baldwin begins by reclaiming words which are absolutely essential to our spiritual and creative survival but which have been emptied of meaning by overuse, misuse, and abuse:

I really don’t like words like “artist” or “integrity” or “courage” or “nobility.” I have a kind of distrust of all those words because I don’t really know what they mean, any more than I really know what such words as “democracy” or “peace” or “peace-loving” or “warlike” or “integration” mean. And yet one is compelled to recognize that all these imprecise words are attempts made by us all to get to something which is real and which lives behind the words. Whether I like it or not, for example, and no matter what I call myself, I suppose the only word for me, when the chips are down, is that I am an artist. There is such a thing. There is such a thing as integrity. Some people are noble. There is such a thing as courage. The terrible thing is that the reality behind these words depends ultimately on what the human being (meaning every single one of us) believes to be real. The terrible thing is that the reality behind all these words depends on choices one has got to make, for ever and ever and ever, every day.

Baldwin’s most electrifying point is that the integrity of the artist is an analogue for the integrity of being human — the choice of the artist is a choice we each must make, in one form or another, by virtue of being alive:

I am not interested really in talking to you as an artist. It seems to me that the artist’s struggle for his integrity must be considered as a kind of metaphor for the struggle, which is universal and daily, of all human beings on the face of this globe to get to become human beings. It is not your fault, it is not my fault, that I write. And I never would come before you in the position of a complainant for doing something that I must do… The poets (by which I mean all artists) are finally the only people who know the truth about us. Soldiers don’t. Statesmen don’t. Priests don’t. Union leaders don’t. Only poets. […] [This is] a time … when something awful is happening to a civilization, when it ceases to produce poets, and, what is even more crucial, when it ceases in any way whatever to believe in the report that only the poets can make. Conrad told us a long time ago…: “Woe to that man who does not put his trust in life.” Henry James said, “Live, live all you can. It’s a mistake not to.” And Shakespeare said — and this is what I take to be the truth about everybody’s life all of the time — “Out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety.” Art is here to prove, and to help one bear, the fact that all safety is an illusion. In this sense, all artists are divorced from and even necessarily opposed to any system whatever.

In a sentiment the poet Mark Strand would come to echo in his beautiful assertion that the artist’s task is to bear witness to our experience, which is “part of the broader responsibility we all have for keeping the universe ordered through our consciousness,” Baldwin considers the singular responsibility and burden of the artist:

The crime of which you discover slowly you are guilty is not so much that you are aware, which is bad enough, but that other people see that you are and cannot bear to watch it, because it testifies to the fact that they are not. You’re bearing witness helplessly to something which everybody knows and nobody wants to face.

Just as his contemporary and intellectual peer Hannah Arendt was exploring the privilege of being a pariah , Baldwin considers the essential survival mechanism by which the artist bears his or her burden of bearing witness to the unnameable:

Well, one survives that, no matter how… You survive this and in some terrible way, which I suppose no one can ever describe, you are compelled, you are corralled, you are bullwhipped into dealing with whatever it is that hurt you. And what is crucial here is that if it hurt you, that is not what’s important. Everybody’s hurt. What is important, what corrals you, what bullwhips you, what drives you, torments you, is that you must find some way of using this to connect you with everyone else alive. This is all you have to do it with. You must understand that your pain is trivial except insofar as you can use it to connect with other people’s pain; and insofar as you can do that with your pain, you can be released from it, and then hopefully it works the other way around too; insofar as I can tell you what it is to suffer, perhaps I can help you to suffer less. Then, you make — oh, fifteen years later, several thousand drinks later, two or three divorces, God knows how many broken friendships and an exile of one kind or another — some kind of breakthrough, which is your first articulation of who you are: that is to say, your first articulation of who you suspect we all are.

With this, Baldwin turns to what art does for the human spirit — although, to borrow that wonderful phrase from Saul Bellow’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech , “there is no simple choice between the children of light and the children of darkness,” Baldwin argues that art’s ultimate purpose is to be an equalizer for our suffering:

When I was very young (and I am sure this is true of everybody here), I assumed that no one had ever been born who was only five feet six inches tall, or been born poor, or been born ugly, or masturbated, or done all those things which were my private property when I was fifteen. No one had ever suffered the way I suffered. Then you discover, and I discovered this through Dostoevsky, that it is common. Everybody did it. Not only did everybody do it, everybody’s doing it. And all the time. It’s a fantastic and terrifying liberation. The reason it is terrifying is because it makes you once and for all responsible to no one but yourself. Not to God the Father, not to Satan, not to anybody. Just you. If you think it’s right, then you’ve got to do it. If you think it’s wrong, then you mustn’t do it. And not only do we all know how difficult it is, given what we are, to tell the difference between right and wrong, but the whole nature of life is so terrible that somebody’s right is always somebody else’s wrong. And these are the terrible choices one has always got to make.

And yet alongside the terrible is also the terrific, if sometimes terrifying, beauty of being an artist. Echoing William Faulkner’s assertion that the artist’s duty is “to help man endure by lifting his heart,” Baldwin writes:

Most people live in almost total darkness… people, millions of people whom you will never see, who don’t know you, never will know you, people who may try to kill you in the morning, live in a darkness which — if you have that funny terrible thing which every artist can recognize and no artist can define — you are responsible to those people to lighten, and it does not matter what happens to you. You are being used in the way a crab is useful, the way sand certainly has some function. It is impersonal. This force which you didn’t ask for, and this destiny which you must accept, is also your responsibility. And if you survive it, if you don’t cheat, if you don’t lie, it is not only, you know, your glory, your achievement, it is almost our only hope — because only an artist can tell, and only artists have told since we have heard of man, what it is like for anyone who gets to this planet to survive it. What it is like to die, or to have somebody die; what it is like to be glad. Hymns don’t do this, churches really cannot do it. The trouble is that although the artist can do it, the price that he has to pay himself and that you, the audience, must also pay, is a willingness to give up everything, to realize that although you spent twenty-seven years acquiring this house, this furniture, this position, although you spent forty years raising this child, these children, nothing, none of it belongs to you. You can only have it by letting it go. You can only take if you are prepared to give, and giving is not an investment. It is not a day at the bargain counter. It is a total risk of everything, of you and who you think you are, who you think you’d like to be, where you think you’d like to go — everything, and this forever, forever.

Thanks to the Pacifica Radio Archives , this wonderful archival recording of Baldwin’s speech survives:

Complement The Cross of Redemption , a trove of the beloved writer’s genius from cover to cover, with Baldwin on the revelation that taught him to see , his forgotten conversations with Margaret Mead about identity, race, power, and forgiveness and with Nikki Giovanni about what it means to be truly empowered , and his advice to aspiring writers , then revisit Georgia O’Keeffe on what it means to be an artist .

— Published April 13, 2016 — https://www.themarginalian.org/2016/04/13/james-baldwin-the-artists-struggle-for-integrity/ —

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How Beyoncé Fits Into the Storied Legacy of Black Country

Randall is an award-winning professor, songwriter, and author of My Black Country: A Journey Through Country Music's Black Past, Present, and Future

O n March 16, 1983, the Country Music Association (CMA) celebrated its 25th anniversary, and I was invited. Buddy Killen, the song publisher who pitched “Heartbreak Hotel” to Elvis Presley, thought “the Black girl from Harvard” might just be the second coming of that hit’s songwriter, Mae Boren Axton. He put me on the guest list and paid for the tickets.

It was a complicated night. The event was held at the DAR Constitution Hall, built by the Daughters of the American Revolution, an infamous venue whose management had refused to allow Black opera star Marian Anderson to perform on its stage in 1939. I took special pleasure in seeing guitarist and singer Charley Pride stride onto that stage—in a building named to honor the U.S. Constitution, but run to exclude Black artists—and stake his claim as part of that “We the People” that document claims to represent.

At one point in the ceremony, singer Roy Acuff announced that “country music is a family.” Then he proclaimed Jimmie Rodgers “the father” of that family. But he did not mention Lil Hardin Armstrong, the pianist who played on Rodgers’ hit “Blue Yodel No. 9.” Acuff nodded to Will Rogers, the comedian, but shamelessly omitted DeFord Bailey , the Grand Ole Opry’s first superstar.

My idea to name and spotlight the First Family of Black Country was conceived in that moment. It was nurtured in the silence of missing names. Quiet as it was being kept, country had Black founders. I knew it; Buddy Killen, who arrived in Nashville playing bass for a blackface comedy act on the Grand Ole Opry, knew it; Roy Acuff, who had played on stages with Bailey, Ray Charles, and Pride, knew it. And more than four decades later, Beyoncé knew it when she broke the internet on Super Bowl Sunday by surprise—releasing two country songs and announcing an album, Cowboy Carter , which has her devoted fans in the Beyhive buzzing about line-dancing into the summer of country.

Read More: Beyoncé Has Always Been Country

That evening back in 1983 was constructed to be country’s coming-out party as a musical genre worthy of exceptional respect because it was a reflection and celebration of America at its best. And that best was being defined as a family having only white founders—and not a single Black woman in sight. It was a fallacy that could only last so long.

The way I see it, modern Black country was born on Dec. 10, 1927, when Bailey, descended from enslaved Tennesseans, lifted his harmonica to play “Pan American Blues” on the Nashville radio show Barn Dance. Fast forward to July 16, 1930, in Los Angeles, where Armstrong made country music history as the first Black woman to play on a hillbilly record that sold a million copies. And Lil didn’t just play on the session—her piano drove the session.

Country is not as many have posited: a genre with Black influence but without Black presence. Black women have been present since the earliest days of country’s existence as a recorded and commercially marketed music form. But a custom of cultural redlining has not only kept Black women out of country writing rooms, off country airwaves, off rodeo stages, off the country charts; it has also worked to keep the few Black women who managed to evade the gatekeepers off the entertainment pages, and out of the history books.

This would change. Nobody sitting in the room that night knew it, but there was a little girl toddling around a two-story house in Houston who would bring the long era of -erasing Black country sounds and stories to an abrupt end. The calculated erasure that began at one large public party with expensive tickets in 1983 ended during another, Super Bowl LVIII, when Beyoncé released “Texas Hold ’Em” and “16 Carriages.”

Along with “Daddy Lessons” off of 2016’s Lemonade, these songs have established Beyoncé as heir to a Black country musical tradition that dates back to the 17th century, when the first banjo was strummed by Black hands on American soil. Like DeFord Bailey’s, Beyoncé’s country songs are grounded in aural rural realities: the screech of the passing train, the sound from the local bar where folk are dancing. Like Lil, she understands the power of a costume and a trumpet. Like Ray Charles she brings a whiff of the Black cosmopolitan. Like Charley Pride she exudes a radiant Old Testament Song of Songs sexuality that is at once hot and holy. Like Herb Jeffries she embodies the cowboy who stays close to nature and guns.

The erasure did not end just because Beyoncé Knowles Carter became the first Black female artist to top the country charts, though she did that, on Feb. 24. And there are many others who have laid the groundwork for this catalytic moment: Linda Martell, the Pointer Sisters, Rissi Palmer, Rhiannon Giddens, Mickey Guyton, Brittney Spencer, Reyna Roberts, and O.N.E the Duo, to name just a few.

The erasure ended when she started a sustained national conversation, getting America to talk about and celebrate neglected Black country legacy. The question of “Who can be in country music?” often masks a deeper query about “Who can be a real American?” Beyoncé’s was a loud announcement of a reality long denied, that she was “We the People.” And so were people who looked like her.

I’ve often said that country music is three chords and four truths: life is hard, God is real, whiskey and roads and family provide worthy compensations, and the past is better than the present. That last truth is one of the places where country often experiences a racial split. In much of white country, the past that is better than the present exists in a longed-for and lost mythical Dixie. In Black country, the past that is better than the present exists in a longed-for and lost Africa before colonization.

Country music is commonly defined as American folk music with Celtic, African, and evangelical Christian influences. My ancestors come from Cameroon, Nigeria, and Mali, from Scotland, England, and Ireland. I am country music, embodied. I started songwriting sitting under a Motown cherry tree, about the age of 5, in 1964. I would eat candied cherries, watching a sea of cars flow by on the John C. Lodge Freeway, and let country songs—from my grandmother’s lips, my mother’s radio, my aunt’s -stereo—roll ’round my head. I started off singing other people’s words then one day I started singing my own, the auspicious beginnings of a career that would land me in the top spot on the country charts.

Read More: Black Artists Helped Build Country Music—And Then It Left Them Behind

My daddy hipped me to the fact that it was Lil Hardin on Jimmie Rodgers’ biggest hit, and that there were probably a lot more Black folks passing for white on country records. He would look at some sheet music or hymnal, then ask, “What you bet Traditional was a colored girl?”

I write country music because it is a way to make what is too hard to bear somehow bearable. Beyoncé in “Texas Hold ’Em” does this same work, squaring off against tornadoes, heat waves, and lovers losing courage, as DeFord had squared off against a sense of being relentlessly pursued in “Fox Chase.” Both songs transform hardship into a particular flavor of playful and hopeful joy I recognize as country.

To close out the CMA anniversary show, Ray Charles sang “America the Beautiful.” Listening to the man behind what has been called the greatest country album, 1962’s Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, it struck me how entwined he was in the legacy of Black country. This was Armstrong and Bailey’s genius child. Next to him was country-as-corn-bread Pride, a spiritual love child to Bailey. On the other side of the family tree, Herb Jeffries, who wasn’t present in the auditorium but should have been, was Armstrong’s stepchild.

Among a sea of white people, including the President and Vice President of the U.S. and the presidents of every major country-music label, I had an inkling I was the only person in that room worried about singing Black cowboys, worried about Jeffries, wondering why he wasn’t there.

Now Beyoncé has changed that room entirely. Cowboy Carter is poised to be a brilliant new beginning and a culmination. As I see it, Beyoncé is the genius child of Ray Charles. The daughter who eclipses the father. The reflected light of her triumph makes visible both the lineage from which she aesthetically descends and the reality that Black country is a big tent with many entry points: from banjos, harmonicas, and cowboy songs to movies and Motown cherry trees. Beyoncé raises this question: If country owes a significant debt to Black culture, what in America doesn’t?

Adapted from My Black Country: A Journey Through Country Music’s Black Past, Present, and Future . Copyright © 2024 by Alice Randall. Reprinted by permission of Black Privilege Publishing, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, LLC.

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10 books to add to your reading list in April

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Critic Bethanne Patrick recommends 10 promising titles, fiction and nonfiction, to consider for your April reading list.

April’s book releases cover some difficult topics, including Salman Rushdie discussing his 2022 maiming, Leigh Bardugo’s fiction about the dark arts and Ada Limón’s poetry anthology about our fragile world. However, like April, there is also sunshine: Leif Enger’s wild Great Lakes love story, Helen Tworkov’s beautiful memoir of Buddhism and a collection of the inimitable Maggie Nelson’s essays. Happy reading, happy spring!

I Cheerfully Refuse: A Novel By Leif Enger Grove Press: 336 pages, $28 (April 2)

An unusual and meaningful surprise awaits readers of Enger’s latest, which takes place largely on Lake Superior, as a man named Rainy tries to reunite with his beloved wife, Lark. While the world around this couple, a dystopian near-future American where billionaires control everything, could not be bleaker, the author’s retelling of the myth of Orpheus (who went to the underworld to rescue his wife) contains the authentic hope of a born optimist.

The Familiar: A Novel By Leigh Bardugo Flatiron Books: 400 pages, $30 (April 9)

Bardugo departs from novels of dark academia in a standalone to make the hairs on your neck stand up, set in 16th century Spain. A hidden Sephardic Jew and scullery maid named Luzia Cotado matches wits with fellow servant Guillén Santángel. Luzia discovers a secret of Guillén’s, but she’s already fallen in love with him. And because he knows hers, too, they might both avoid the Spanish Inquisition. It’s a gorgeous tale of enchantments both supernatural and earthly.

The Sleepwalkers: A Novel By Scarlett Thomas Simon & Schuster: 304 pages, $28 (April 9)

A couple honeymoons at a Greek resort. What could go wrong? In Thomas’ hands, plenty – especially as the author has never written a comfortable story; her books, from “PopCo ” to “Oligarchy,” crackle with unreliable characters, as well as big philosophical ideas. In this case, the new marriage’s breakdown is chronicled through letters between the spouses, and sometimes bits of ephemera, that ultimately untangle a dark mystery relating to the title.

The Garden: A Novel By Clare Beams Doubleday: 304 pages, $28 (April 10)

Few novels of literary fiction are written as well as “The Garden,” let alone given its sadly relevant retro setting, a 1940s country-estate obstetrical program. Irene Willard walks through its gates having endured five miscarriages; pregnant again, she and her war-veteran husband George desperately hope for a live birth. But as Irene discovers more about the woman who controls all here, Dr. Bishop, she fears carrying to term as much as she once feared pregnancy loss.

Reboot: A Novel By Justin Taylor Pantheon: 304 pages, $28 (April 23)

David Crader, former teen TV heartthrob, just wants to reboot his career when his old show “Rev Beach” has a moment. His life has devolved through substance abuse, divorce and underemployment. But when he and colleagues launch a remake, devolution continues: The protagonist’s struggles are mirrored by climate-change issues, from flooding to wildfires. Despite that darkness, Taylor’s gift for satire might make this a must-read for 2024 beach bags.

You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World By Ada Limón (Editor) Milkweed Editions: 176 pages, $25 (April 2)

A wondrous artist herself, Limón is currently poet laureate of the United States, and this anthology is part of her signature project, “You Are Here,” which will also feature poetry as public art in seven national parks. Released in conjunction with the Library of Congress, the collection features 50 previously unpublished poems by luminaries including Jericho Brown, Joy Harjo, Carl Phillips and Diane Seuss, each focusing on a piece of regional landscape.

Like Love: Essays and Conversations By Maggie Nelson Graywolf Press: 336 pages, $32 (April 2)

While all of the pieces in Nelson’s new book have previously been published elsewhere, they’re made fresh here both through being collected and through their chronological placement. Readers can practically watch Nelson’s incisive mind growing and changing as she speaks with colleagues such as Hilton Als and Judith Butler, or as she writes about queerness, motherhood, violence, the lyrics of Prince and the devastating loss of a friend.

Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder By Salman Rushdie Random House: 204 pages, $28 (April 16)

On Aug. 12, 2022, the author Salman Rushdie was speaking at upstate New York’s Chautauqua festival when a man rushed the stage and attempted to murder him. Rushdie, a target of Iranian religious leaders since 1989, was permanently injured. In this book, he shares his experience for the first time, having said that this was essential for him to write. In this way, he answers violence with art, once again reminding us all that freedom of expression must be protected.

Lotus Girl: My Life at the Crossroads of Buddhism and America By Helen Tworkov St. Martin’s Essentials: 336 pages, $29 (April 16)

Dworkov, founder of the magazine Tricycle, chronicles her move from a 1960s young-adult interest in Buddhism to travels through Asia and deep study in the United States of the different strands that follow the Buddha’s teachings. Tworkov mentions luminaries such as the artist Richard Serra, the composer Charles Mingus and the Dalai Lama, but she’s not name dropping. Instead, she’s strewing fragrant petals from her singular path to mindfulness that may help us find ours.

The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War By Erik Larson Crown: 592 pages, $35 (April 30)

Even diehard Civil War aficionados will learn from Larson’s look at the six months between Lincoln’s 1860 election and the surrender of Union troops under Maj. Robert Anderson at Charleston’s Ft. Sumter. Larson details Anderson’s secret Christmas redeployment and explores this individual’s contradictions as a former slave owner who loyally follows Lincoln’s orders. The author also shares first-person perspective from the famous diaries of the upper-class Southerner Mary Chesnut. All together, the book provides a riveting reexamination of a nation in tumult.

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Kim Kardashian Is Sued for Saying Her Tables Are Authentic Donald Judds

In a promotional video, the reality star said her office furniture was designed by Judd, the minimalist artist. His foundation says otherwise in a new lawsuit.

A woman with white hair in a white shirt and jeans stands next to a table.

By Zachary Small

In a video where Kim Kardashian tours the offices of her Skkn by Kim company, she points out the glam rooms, theater and kitchen of her sprawling 40,000-square-foot space, all drenched in several rosy hues of beige.

It is sparsely furnished, in keeping with what Kardashian has described as her love for the calming influence of minimalist design.

Even the furniture tends to be minimalist chic.

“These Donald Judd tables are really amazing,” Kardashian says, speaking of an artist widely celebrated for his genius with simple forms, “and totally blend in with the seats.”

Except that the dining set is not by Donald Judd, according to the nonprofit foundation that represents his legacy. It sued the celebrity on Wednesday , accusing her of making false claims.

Also named in the lawsuit was Clements Design, which the court papers say produced the tables and chairs that resemble those designed by Judd. The foundation is accusing the company of trademark and copyright infringement.

“Consumers are likely to believe Judd Foundation and the Donald Judd brand are connected or affiliated with, or otherwise sponsored or endorsed Ms. Kardashian,” said the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. “Judd Foundation categorically prohibits customers from using purchased Donald Judd furniture for marketing and promotional purposes.”

Kardashian declined to comment on Wednesday, but Clements Design released a statement saying there were “obvious key differences” between the furnishings and that the company felt “blindsided” by the lawsuit since there had been efforts “made to resolve this issue amicably.” The design company said that the Judd Foundation “was unwilling to settle on reasonable terms. These claims have absolutely no merit.”

The dispute began in 2022, when Kardashian put out a video on YouTube that has since received more than 3.6 million views. Partway through the video, she pauses in the kitchen of her California office, where there are tables and chairs that evoke two Judd designs: La Mansana Table 22 and Chair 84 . (The video was taken down on Wednesday after the lawsuit was filed.)

The Judd furniture (the table costs $90,000 and only three authentic copies have been sold in the last 15 years) are part of how the foundation earns money, a representative for the foundation said. The chairs cost $9,000 each. More than 350 chairs have been sold, according to the foundation, which stamps and numbers each one.

“The furniture is integral to our financial stability,” said Rainer Judd, the artist’s daughter and the president of his foundation, who added that revenue from the designs accounted for nearly half of the organization’s earned income.

Three days after the video first appeared, the Judd Foundation says, it contacted Kardashian about the furniture. A spokeswoman responded to the complaint, according to the lawsuit, saying they were “incredibly sorry for any inconvenience this has caused the foundation” and offering to “update the video caption with a retraction.”

But the Judd Foundation wanted the video deleted, the furniture “recycled” (i.e. destroyed) and Kardashian to issue a public statement.

Representatives for Ms. Kardashian countered with an offer to make a social media post in which she supported the foundation, the foundation said in court papers.

Ultimately the negotiations broke down, and the dispute is headed to court.

If you guys are furniture people, because I’ve really gotten into furniture lately, these Donald Judd tables are really amazing and totally blend in with the seats. And they’re so just easy, we have so many people coming and eating all the time.

Clements Design, based in West Hollywood, helped design the Kardashian office in Los Angeles. It has argued that its furniture differed materially from the artist’s creations.

“It is simply not true that Clements Design commissioned imitation Donald Judd tables,” wrote the lawyer, John Ulin , to the foundation, adding that the wood type and overall proportions were different. “They are different tables with different designs.”

In its statement Wednesday, Clement said the company believed the issue had been already settled. “The Judd Foundation’s prior counsel acknowledged these differences and since then, we have not heard from them in over a year,” the statement said.

But the foundation pointed to an invoice from Clements Design in which it described the furniture as “in the style of Donald Judd” and included an image owned by the Judd Foundation of the authentic dining set.

“It is lower quality than Donald Judd’s furniture,” said Megan Bannigan, a lawyer representing the foundation. “We don’t want to be mixed up with Kim Kardashian. We respect what she does, but we don’t want to be involved with this.”

Before dying in 1994, Judd fiercely protected the authenticity of his creations. In 1990, he criticized Giuseppe Panza , an Italian art collector who created some sculptures based on the artist’s drawings, but without his direct involvement in some cases. Writing after the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum acquired the works, Judd said the collector had botched his designs with inferior materials.

“Panza doesn’t care,” he wrote. “What I require is too expensive. Consequently, Panza makes mock-ups, fakes.”

(Panza defended the sculptures as authentic and said Judd had agreed to his plan. The Guggenheim, which has used the dispute to study and discuss the parameters of authorship, identifies the sculptures Judd complained about as contested Judds.)

Rainer Judd said the Kardashian case is not too much ado about tables. “We are just doing our job to protect Donald Judd’s work,” she said. “Not every artist foundation has the time or resources to do that.”

Zachary Small is a Times reporter writing about the art world’s relationship to money, politics and technology. More about Zachary Small

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How to Be an Artist

Step One: You Are a Total Amateur

Lesson 1: Don’t Be Embarrassed

Lesson 2: “Tell your own story and you will be interesting.” — Louise Bourgeois

Lesson 3: Feel Free to Imitate

Lesson 4: Art Is Not About Understanding. Or Mastery.

Lesson 5: Work, Work, Work

Step Two: How to Actually Begin

Lesson 6: Start With a Pencil

Lesson 7: Develop Forms of Practice

Lesson 8: Now, Redefine Skill

Lesson 9: “Embed thought in material.” — Roberta Smith

Lesson 10: Find Your Own Voice

Lesson 11: Listen to the Crazy Voices in Your Head

Lesson 12: Know What You Hate

Lesson 13: Scavenge

Step Three: Learn How to Think Like an Artist

Lesson 14: Compare Cats and Dogs

Lesson 15: Understand That Art Is Not Just for Looking At

Lesson 16: Learn the Difference Between Subject Matter and Content

Lesson 17: See As Much As You Can

Lesson 18: All Art Is Identity Art!

Lesson 19: All Art Was Once Contemporary Art

Step Four: Enter the Art World

Lesson 20: Accept That You Will Likely Be Poor

Lesson 21: Define Success

Lesson 22: It Takes Only a Few People to Make a Career

Lesson 23: Learn to Write

Step Five: Survive the Art World

Lesson 24: Artists Must Be Vampires

Lesson 25: Learn to Deal With Rejection

Lesson 26: Make an Enemy of Envy

Lesson 27: Having a Family Is Fine

Step Six: Attain Galactic Brain

Lesson 28: What You Don’t Like Is As Important As What You Do Like

Lesson 29: Art Is a Form of Knowing Yourself

Lesson 30: “Artists do not own the meaning of their work.” — Roberta Smith

Lesson 31: All Art Is Subjective

Lesson 32: You Must Prize Vulnerability

Lesson 33: Be Delusional

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