Faking It: When is an Artist Not an Artist?
Wednesday August 2, 2006
Or perhaps, when is a fraud the real thing? Have you caught the UK TV series 'Faking It'? Regular people spend a month being coached in their 'dream job', then have to convince a pannel of 'experts' that they are the real thing. Last night I saw an old episode about a house-painter 'faking it', and it really made me think about what it means to be an artist. ...read what I thought
Comments
Helen, thank you for such a meaty post and article. So telling that the critic would coach saying art is “about the self.” Such hogwash. It’s not “about the self.” (What is that? Must we continually elevate Art to the third person now, as with the Royal We?) Art is only ever a product of a self. When we connect with it on an emotional level, it’s because we recognize those mutual parts of ourselves, artist and viewer, that make us human.
One can certainly fake being an artist, but it’s impossible to fake creating from your inner core. I, too, hope that Mr. O’Hare has continued his journey. He’s stumbled on the true reason for making art: it frees a person’s soul.
I teach art to K-6th graders, and I always tell them that the definition of artist is “someone who creates art.”
Others might have a more restrictive definition, but not me.
Thanks, Shelley. I struggled to come up with a final thought about how significant I felt the process was for Paul O’Hare; it was more than simple art therapy. You’ve summed it up beautifully. Art frees a person’s soul. Wonderful.
Aaron, sounds like your kids have a great mentor!
I think art in a way can be define as. Just about be anything. It can be something as simple as a picture of a cloud to can of pepsi. I think art in a way is something deep down in you. It just changes from person to person. It dosen’t have to be something complicated.
It is interesting, that is the TALK that is fake, not the art.