THE ARTIST
COLLECTION
The Academics of Art
"Nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent"
Calvin Coolidge
'The Artist Collection' was designed to enable people with talent to discuss the idea of success in the art industry. It has become an ideal to believe that one can make a comfortable living off being an artist and so how is success determined in such a subjective field?
Without being able to quantify our artistic expressions, the artist becomes a portrait for their peers to judge. Painting by Ivy Chemutai Ng'ok
'With the difficulty of explaining the meaning behind contemporary art, the same dilema exists for artists. There is a great deal of debate around the necessity of formal training within the Fine Arts.
With Many people are able to use their artistics gifts in order to make a living without any prior formal training. A man tries to sell his work at the 2014 National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.
However, each observer views a piece of art very differently. Rather than be subject to the meaning created by the artist the audience is able to engage in a dialogue with the artist in order to try and find common ground.
There are as many different forms of art as there are people to appreciate them. A man and woman sit in the village green each trying to sell their own version of creativity.
This kind of retail aspect allows one to determine how popular their medium may be. However it still fails to quantify the success of the artist in terms of testing their own creative ability.
Often it is this struggle with creativity which allows the audience to relate to the struggle in the image.
Painting by Matthew Hazel
The setting and scene in which art is created truly has an influence on the way in which it is viewed. If one has spent years in an institution creating work then it will surely reflect within the viewer. However this kind of structure may negatively effect the artistic process as well.
This exhibition features a female subject who was photographed in the same room as what the exhibition is taking place in. Installation by Caitlyn van Heerden.
Since place and setting have such a large influence it brings up another debate around street art. The way in which it interacts with its audience is unique to any other forms of art.
For some however art is simply a normal part of their working day.
Some are literally able to see themselves within the works of art.
Some of the best art out there is only ever to be seen by the adventurous at heart.
