How Much about being an Artist is about being Popular?

[NoSeRider]

There have been plenty of artists that weren't recognized for their ability, and only praised after there deaths, such as:

http://www.vangoghgallery.com/
Van Gogh

http://www.artnet.com/artist/11043/antonio-mancini.html
Antonio Mancini

So how much about 'art' is about asserting yourself....making people believe in you?

Even Djurdjevic said it was 90% selling himself, and 10% actual work.

And please don't tell me my question is stupid. I find this more entertaining then talking about Wacom's and girlfriend/boyfriend problems.

[wassermelone]

Theres no denying theres a large social component behind art.

Its behind anything.

Who want to hire a douche?

[kev ferrara]

It has occurred to me recently that, essentially, art might be all about creating metaphors for life. Burke says Story is "equipment for living" and I think much of art falls within the narrative (story) tradition, even portraits. And I would say that story is clearly a popular art.

Furthermore, I think artists generally like emotional attention for their work. That is, they want popular acclaim.

And lastly, artists, like most people, would like to eat, be comfortable and live somewhere nice. Thus money is a good idea.

Hard to escape the popular nature of art, I think. I think a lot of the verbiage you hear to the contrary is either spite, jealousy, or dogma talking. I've been wrong before, though.

[Yanomeko]

Yeah, but its gotten better and worse. The good news, that exposure to a high degree gets you attention well and makes you famous, albeit even more famous after death, but way higher then before when you alive. Bad news is that those who are actually 90% work and only get 10% exposure and are just freakin awesome or show massive potential are in the media/world's cellars and basements, which makes for a really harsh outlook in an artist's future outlook on life and when they die...they become even less famous then before.

So we are still in a difficult period of art, hopefully, the future will allow those great hidden artists to be far more exposed.

[Jason Manley]

if you cant do the work, then what good is being well known for not being able to do the work?

[Meloncov]

To being an artist? Almost nothing. To being a commercially successful artist? More than half.

[squidmonk3j]

How Much about being an Artist is about being Popular?
How Much about being a Popular Artist is about being Popular?
How Much about wanting to be a Popular Artist is about being Popular?
How Much about wanting to be a Popular Artist is about being an Artist?

ask better questions, get better answers.

[James Kei]

You guys have got it all wrong! Art is porn.

[Grief]

You guys have got it all wrong! Art is porn.

how much of porn is about having abnormally large genitalia?

[Farsh]

^ Amen.

[NoSeRider]

OK, fine.

How much about being an artist is about not asking anything and being brain dead?

Hey, it's about selling yourself, ain't it?

[arttorney]

Being popular is more about being viewed as an artist rather than actually being an artist. Others have said this in other ways.

Conversely, though, if you can draw exactly what you meant to draw whenever you want to there might still be a problem. If "whatever you want to draw" turns out to be stuff people will always consider to be crap, then the only person who considers you to be an artist is you. You need skill to tap into peoples psyche somehow, as well as skill making your marks.

If you get into their psyches, then people will be easier to convince when it comes time for the sales job.

[Rist]

I'd love to be as popular as Damien Hirst. Lovely manor he has, I do say myself.

[Penumbra]

If you haven't already you should read "Art and Fear" and "The War of Art". Very slim books but very insightful in this regard.

Most(I believe the war of Art says its in the 95-98%) artist's who claim to be professional on their income tax returns make less than 3000.00usd a year doing art.

So most artists aren't very popular at all(relatively speaking).


"The artist is likely to be looked upon with some uneasiness by the more conservative members of society... It may be a point of great pride to have a Van Gogh on the living room wall, but the prospect of having Van Gogh himself in the living room would put a good many devoted art lovers to rout."
> Ben Shahn

But if you put the word "Successful" in front of the word "Artist" things change quite a bit...

[Lukias]

I'm not sure if this only applies to NZ but supposedly only one in one thousand "artists" actually make a living out of it. Thems great odds.

[HunterKiller_]

It's about more than about more than 50.

[Penumbra]

It's about more than about more than 50.

LOL...I saw that thread.
Art is the most better ways to gather millions of currency.(paraphrase)

[Elwell]

People hire people that they get along with.
So...
Face it, Nosey, you're screwed.

[NoSeRider]

Face it, Nosey, you're screwed.

Well, I know that, but ,jeesh, you don't have to get personal about it.

[Slash]

Nice one Elwell.

I believe it was Staz Johnson that said something along these lines:

You have to be two out of these three: Good, Fast and Friendly. If you're Good and fast, it doesn't matter too much if you're an asshole. If you're Friendly and Good, it doesn't matter if you're a little slow. etc etc.

I dunno why, but that kind of stuck to me as good advice. So now i'm aiming for all three.

[Jabo]

how much of porn is about having abnormally large genitalia?

Oh, it's that time of the week again?

[light]

This is honestly the dumbest question. Popularity isn't some number that dictates anything directly, but if nobody knows you exist nobody is gonna offer you a job and then you don't work, starve and die I mean how complicated is that christ man


Now that we got that out of the way I can ask my question, how much good is elbow control in art ? ? ?? ??

[NoSeRider]

This is honestly the dumbest question. Popularity isn't some number that dictates anything directly, but if nobody knows you exist nobody is gonna offer you a job and then you don't work, starve and die I mean how complicated is that christ man

Bullshit. The game industry is full of nepotism. They'll dump you on a dime if they feel you don't fit in.....ergo, popularity.....unless of course you're golden and make money for them.

Christ Man, get real.

[NoSeRider]

"I want to offer my sincerest apologies to everybody," said a despondent Jeff Butler. The president and executive producer at Vanguard: Saga of Heroes developer Sigil Games gave a heartfelt and off-the-cuff statement to the gathered employees in the parking lot. "This isn't what I brought you all to this company for, and it isn't how I wanted things to end up."

That was the scene at Sigil's Carlsbad, CA headquarters on Monday afternoon. The mass-termination of all the company's employees follows an announcement that publisher Sony Online Entertainment acquired the Vanguard IP and all of Sigil's game assets. Yet, it wasn't anyone at Sony Online who delivered the awful news...but rather, Sigil's production director Andy Platter.

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3159549

Here's something that happened locally. They just called all the employees, and BAM! You gone.....unless they liked you.
Gather you up in a parking lot and fire you. Man, there is absolutely no class in that.

[NoSeRider]

For those of you that are into beastiality.....ENJOY!

[Mike Corriero]

I think Popularity has a lot to do with being Successful
In my personal opinion, being popular is just as important as being capable of producing quality work. Here are a few things I've noticed:

If you're great at promoting yourself and great at networking it can quite often get a mediocre artist more work than someone who is more talented and not very good at self promotion. Having friends in the right places can often give you a better chance at being promoted and obtaining paid jobs. If you're friends with the right people you some times get privileges you wouldn't normally get if you're at the same level of talent. Unfortunately playing favorites is a part of how things work behind the scenes.

If you're very popular with fans and have a large following of groupies who love your work, what does it matter if the people who count concerning jobs (art directors, art managers, clients, publishers, companies) don't see your work the same way outside fans do?

Personal taste in work and popularity among your peers goes a long way over being extremely talented. Of course talent counts for a lot as well but again, if you're not respected by those who are willing to pass your name along or buy your products or hire you...where does that leave your work?

I think it goes both ways and works out by chance.
Mike -

[Costau D]

I have to be popular?... *sigh*

Might as well quit. Cant live a pipe dream.

Not much of a talker. Hard for me to convey ideas to people. Stuttering, and forgetting words etc.

i feel for those who have to struggle more than the other great people who can pick things up quicker.

Screw it

I'm having fun.

[romance]

Success dictates popularity and popularity dictates success.

It's an art loop thats self sufficient as long as your producing decent work and your not an asshole.

[light]

Bullshit. The game industry is full of nepotism. They'll dump you on a dime if they feel you don't fit in.....ergo, popularity.....unless of course you're golden and make money for them.

Christ Man, get real.

I'm not saying popularity isn't important I'm saying that popularity is related with every single job and figuring out stuff like this for yourself takes first grade problem solving.

[NoSeRider]

I'm not saying popularity isn't important I'm saying that popularity is related with every single job and figuring out stuff like this for yourself takes first grade problem solving.

http://www.artnet.com/artist/11043/antonio-mancini.html
That's why Antonio Mancini didn't get the recognition he deserved....because he wasn't a sycophant and a suck up, but he was still a great artist....better then you guys. Well, he was a master painter. How many of you guys are seriously willing to call yourselves that?

Here's my question:

How Much about being an Artist is about being Popular?

I said "How Much"...meaning I know you need it, but in how much quantity?
MikeCorriero answered my question, and very nicely. Thank you.

kev ferrara did a good job too....and Penumbra.
And amazingly Slash actually provided something of substance.

I like the advice I get with my stupid ass questions. Very insightful.