a 'successful' artist

[Andrea]

Excellent, these lines made me almost vomit like a travel-sick:

...or - how an "emerging artist" is essentially the same as a "new independent business venture" ...especially with concerns of identifying your target market (audience), managing expenses, generating value and so on...

But fear not, I´m an amateur, art is still a relaxing hobby for me

I´m really looking forward to read your dissertation, especially section 2 and 4.
In a way I hope you will contribute your own thoughts to the study of the deeper meaning of being a successful artist and not only leave that section 2 be in itself with quotes from others. But again, I´m just a naive amateur.

Now I´m thinking of Ernst Billgren and his book - Vad är konst? (What is art?)
100 questions and answers about art, you should read it.

[Andrea]

Question No.. 23
How do I become successful?

The short answer: Make someone happy.
The long answer: .....

[joethelion]

Originally Posted by Andrea

Excellent, these lines made me almost vomit like a travel-sick:

...or - how an "emerging artist" is essentially the same as a "new independent business venture" ...especially with concerns of identifying your target market (audience), managing expenses, generating value and so on...

But fear not, I´m an amateur, art is still a relaxing hobby for me

I totally understand why it would make someone feel sick - especially reading those two points.

But I think it's really all down to how you interpret the terminology. For example - "identifying your target market" => "Who am I making this work for?"

Am I doing it for myself? For 'the public', is it intended on going into a commercial gallery, an artist - run space, or is it a 'public work'

for example - Christo & Jeanne-Claude's work "the Gates" - how well would that "work" if it was in a gallery, as opposed to a gigantic installation in Central Park?

"Managing Expenses" => are the materials I am using appropriate for the piece I am constructing?

...to draw example from my personal life - there's a classmate of mine creates these very... I don't want to sound dismissive... but... "simple" images (like, one piece was about the average size of a cookie, and in the center of it was a 'ghost' like in the Pac-Man video game) -> except the 'disc' that the ghost was on, was made out of ebony. The ghost was made out of some precious material... and if I'm not mistaken - she also used ivory (and multiple other pieces of her's used antique ivory)

...but the work wasn't about using these precious (and controversial) materials in a "silly" way or making any sort of commentary about the 'connotations' of using ivory - it was just "oh hey - I've got this stuff, and I'm going to use it"

...now how successful was that piece? And how much did she think about her source materials? If it didn't matter that she was using ebony & ivory (amongst other expensive materials) - then why use them in the first place?

'generating value' - ok - this is one part that I personally find very "icky" - but it's like... I think we all can think of examples of famous artists that have pieces sold for ungodly amounts of money - yet, are actually kind of crap. One has to think, how did they position themselves in a manner to garner that kind of exposure?

[Andrea]

Today I walked approx. 6 hours in the Picasso Museum in Barcelona. I don't know if his education was equal to a MPhil and Phd in art but he has at least not lost focus while he painted his version of Las Meninas. No antique ivory, just very simple black and white.
I love the painter most of all

[crank]

That's a great museum. Needed to spend days there rather than hours.

[Andrea]

Yes I know, I only had a couple of days off after a business trip so I'm happy for at least a short visit to the Dali Museum in Figueres and Dali and Picasso Museum in Barcelona. I wish I had the opportunity to stay for weeks, especially with people with similar interest.

[Professor]

Success, to me, is defined by sustainability with as little compromise at possible, showing your work to the public, and reaching personal goals (respect of other artists, recognition, etc) . If you can make a living from your art, sooner or later your art isn't really art anymore...it becomes work and requires more and more discipline to stay focussed. Like any job, some days you just don't want to do it.... however, if you love the work, then I'd say that's successful....if you regret the loss of that feeling of 'art'.... then maybe back to the drawing board. Fine line to tread.

[Andrea]

Apropos of making a living from your art....
At the Dali Museum in Figueres there were a lots of bread indeed.



But also a lots of art



Even a laughing, blindfolded woman came out of nowhere on a chain of spoons



and angels with muscles



Hallelujah!

[//\/\/]

sucess; if you can live off your art so that it frees you to produce even more of it

[Andrea]

Sounds like a vicious circle for those whose parents have not shown the right path from the start, or at least it must be very trying to the patience.
They say it takes at least 10 000 hours practice to develop a top skill even if you have a basic talent. That means approximately 6 years of training as a full time job.
But I guess you have to pay the bills during the time, so lets say you´re working with your art only on Sundays, which means you need to practice for at least 25 years before you even close to being able to live on it.

I guess I have some years left before I catch up