Who is an Artist? What is Art?
We had an interesting discussion in CIE the other day about the nature of artists. I pissed off most of the class with my definitions, so I thought I'd pass them onto you to piss you off, too.
An artist is someone who creates art. Easy enough, right? Art is a bit more difficult. First off, it must have complexity and intentionality. Some modern "art" today is not art, because it lacks complexity (e.g. painting a circle) or intentionality (duchamp's sculptures come to mind). The goal of art is to express truths in a non-philosophical way (i.e. using syllogisms).
There also must be a distinction between artists and performers. A person who performs a concerto, or reads a poem, or dances a ballet, is not an artist. They are rather performers. This is not to devalue what they do (except in the case of Justin Timberlake). There is some sort of hierarchy, or progression, of meaning:
Life ---> Artist ---> Performer ---> Audience
Each piece is necessary for the work of art to occur.
An artist is someone who creates art. Easy enough, right? Art is a bit more difficult. First off, it must have complexity and intentionality. Some modern "art" today is not art, because it lacks complexity (e.g. painting a circle) or intentionality (duchamp's sculptures come to mind). The goal of art is to express truths in a non-philosophical way (i.e. using syllogisms).
There also must be a distinction between artists and performers. A person who performs a concerto, or reads a poem, or dances a ballet, is not an artist. They are rather performers. This is not to devalue what they do (except in the case of Justin Timberlake). There is some sort of hierarchy, or progression, of meaning:
Life ---> Artist ---> Performer ---> Audience
Each piece is necessary for the work of art to occur.
posted by Joshua Frear at 11:36 AM
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