I am sick and tired of know-it-all blowhard snobs trying to tell us what makes a “real” artist.
I have read and heard a “real” artist makes money. What about van Gogh? He sold two paintings to his brother. That’s it.
I have heard and read a “real” artist does not sell out. What about Michelangelo and many of the Old Dutch Masters? They were illustrators who worked on commission for rich folks.
I heard an art snob say that Norman Rockwell was not a “real” artist. He was “just an illustrator.” Lets look at Michelangelo again.
I see the words “hobbyist” used for those who are not making their living and paying enough taxes as a “real professional” artist.
I’ve heard that computer artists are not “real’ artists, and that photographers are not ‘real” artists. I’ve heard and read that people not classically trained or are self taught are not “real’ artists.
I’ve even seen the term “vanity galleries” for those who rent art space.
We need to stop. We need to stop defining each other and putting each other in little boxes. We need to stop belittling each other because someone has told us what “real” is, or because someone was not trained as you were, or because someone else is not creating and expressing themselves as you think they should.
We would get along a lot better if we stopped trying to be better than the person next to us.
