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photography as art abstraction

Guy Tal

Editor at Large
Tony/Nicolas,

You will note I alluded to the same sentiment on another thread by explicitly saying I do not want to self-proclaim myself an artist. The best way I heard it presented is that "art" is a gift word. It is for others to give to you, not for you to take for yourself.

Either way, alas, in this day and age Artist is more of a marketing term than anything else.

Guy
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Nicolas Claris said:
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Enfin! Finaly!
I find someone here with this statement!

Merci Tony!

How wrong! Also how destructive! I differ from both of you :(

It may be ways of looking at authority. Let me give an example.

In the USA, where the idea of creative people is to break rules, there may be a little more of local allowance for self-made titles. I have seen some people referring in their websites as "Professor" when they had an adjunct appointment only. But the USA IS the place for opportunity, and as long as you don't practice medicine without a license or fly planes into buildings, you can pretty well do what you want.

A lot of men in Hollywood call themselves a "Designer", when I know that means they are unemployed but open to a new relationship. If it "works" go for it.

Now for "Artist", I am a lot less cynical. Why? Because the market is much more sophisticated and critical and people have been exposed to great art. I have no problem someone calling himself an artist as I have with a boxer challenging a prizefighter. Go out there and show your stuff.

If you have the stuff of an artist, it will show.

I'll go further, I think it is important for people to make that existential commitment, I am; an artist!

The first observer and recipient of ones work is the creator. If when he looks at his work he finds the feelings and ideas expressed he mapped out, then his work is art. If that first test of reception works, he IS an artist, whether or not he declares it.

I tell all the actors who model for me to not wait for people to call them an artist. They must declare it to themselves and "Stamp their own passports!" Waiting for a 3rd person to approve your vision and execution is unhealthy.

Now, I don't advise anyone to be delusional. Saying, I'm an artist means this is my commitment to my work and myself to excel in creating expressions for someone, even just for themselves alone.

So I utterly disagree with the idea that it takes a 3rd person to declare you an artist. If you cannot make that declaration, you have not set your life on that track in a purposeful way yet or need an injection of testosterone!

Asher
 
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Alain Briot

pro member
Asher Kelman said:
I'll go further, I think it is important for people to make that existential commitment, I am; an artist!
Asher

Absolutely. And for those who believe they are not artists, which is OK too, it is definitly, absolutely, 100% WRONG to impose that others do the same. I have the right to say that I am an artist just as much as they have the right to say that they are not artists, or that someone else needs to call them artists because they won't do it themselves.

I am an artist, like it or not.
 

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
Alain Briot said:
I have the right to say that I am an artist just as much as they have the right to say that they are not artists, or that someone else needs to call them artists because they won't do it themselves.

I am an artist, like it or not.
Alain I agree with this, of course!

Asher,
You talk about USA, but like most of american people, you seem to forget (in reallity I know you don't) that there are perhaps some other cultures and countries outhere...
As far as I know this forum is worldwide!

And you may remember that French did invent in 1968: "it is forbidden to forbid"
When I express my opinion, I never deny someone else to have a different one, in the post above, I was just happy that someone on this forum did have the same idea as I do on the "I'm an artist" topic.
Sometimes it is good not to feel alone.
Point.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Nicolas Claris said:
Alain I agree with this, of course!
Asher,
You talk about USA, but like most of american people, you seem to forget (in reallity I know you don't) that there are perhaps some other cultures and countries outhere...
As far as I know this forum is worldwide!

Nicolas,

I'm the last person to infer lack of respect for other cultures (which your really don't do, because you know me better), but in reality, in this world, everything is shrinking. Cultures in the Spanish empires have lost their songs and history. We could go on. Anyway, culture is rich and culture is terrible, and that is why people currently suffer.

End of off topic!

Asher
 
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