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I don't think the words "art" and "career" should ever be put in the same sentence. Art doesn't work that way. Van Gough couldn't give any of his paintings away, so does that mean his career was a flop? Andy Warhol couldn't get anyone w/ a gallery to show his paintings of soup cans. There are plenty of hacks already making a "career" from what they refer to as their art.
Take it from someone who has worked as an artist for nearly 3/4 of a century: A successful artist is someone who can make great paintings/drawings/prints, etc. "Great" meaning by their measure, not by anyone else's, and all of us feel that our work is probably going to be called crap by someone else anyway. There is no other measure for success than satisfying yourself, and there is always a LOT of room for improvement.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stephenMM
I don't think the words "art" and "career" should ever be put in the same sentence. Art doesn't work that way. Van Gough couldn't give any of his paintings away, so does that mean his career was a flop? Andy Warhol couldn't get anyone w/ a gallery to show his paintings of soup cans. There are plenty of hacks already making a "career" from what they refer to as their art.
Take it from someone who has worked as an artist for nearly 3/4 of a century: A successful artist is someone who can make great paintings/drawings/prints, etc. "Great" meaning by their measure, not by anyone else's, and all of us feel that our work is probably going to be called crap by someone else anyway. There is no other measure for success than satisfying yourself, and there is always a LOT of room for improvement.
A career is working in a bank.
I wouldn't go quite that far, as I do know a few career artists from when I had a sign/graphics business for 16 years. At that time I hired students from the local art institute (closed up in 2017). Their careers are not painting, however. One now does amazing paintings that are sometimes exhibited in Seattle coffee houses, but her career is doing artwork for print and media advertising. Another is doing artwork for a big shirt screen printing company, and a 3rd does computer animation. The rest have all gotten jobs that are not related to art. Where I work now the company has an art manager who is getting about $100k to handle the artwork in our public buildings. I would consider that an art career.
I wouldn't go quite that far, as I do know a few career artists from when I had a sign/graphics business for 16 years. At that time I hired students from the local art institute (closed up in 2017). Their careers are not painting, however. One now does amazing paintings that are sometimes exhibited in Seattle coffee houses, but her career is doing artwork for print and media advertising. Another is doing artwork for a big shirt screen printing company, and a 3rd does computer animation. The rest have all gotten jobs that are not related to art. Where I work now the company has an art manager who is getting about $100k to handle the artwork in our public buildings. I would consider that an art career.
My L. A.-based daughter's career path (after graduation from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2011) MOL follows the arc of the individuals that you describe. She has taken the idea of Art as a vocation quite seriously since she was in high school.
Emergence of IT and related industries has resulted in a proliferation of 'career artists', and my take on this (and I speak as a retired professor of Art History) is that art schools have generally adapted quickly to this development over the last 25 years. The 'business end' of Art has been incorporated into their curricula; In my daughter's case, she was required to develop and maintain a professional portfolio over the four years of matriculation. The portfolio was critiqued weekly not only by faculty but by local business leaders (animators, gamers, graphic designers et al), who were only too happy to come in and shop for new talent.
And so, my daughter walked away from SCAD with not only a diploma but an invaluable asset with which to spark her art career.
Thanks for this very interesting video.
I am a serious abstract painter who spent my career as a professional photographer because I could make enough money to survive
My score was 53 to 56 and I knew what my negatives were before this video, still interesting to see all the factors
I am over 65 (big negative) and live nowhere near an art metropolis with access to building many contacts
Had a solo show in 2019
Right now my work is a very prestigious group show, very big awards which always means that the best artists submit their work
Young artists should read this book and learn how important many factors beyond "talent" are important to an artist
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