how to be an artist?
Witch or a sexy kitten?
2001
Come play with me
How to be a true artist? What is true and what is art, who is the artist? Eternal questions.
A true professional has a domain she has paid for. This is the thought of entrepreneurial artist making products and having credibility, clientage, she is trustworthy. You can go as far as factory manufacturing of art, so big business. Money makes the pro, large sums of money. To play with this idea is the it thing. Money glorifies you, gives you credit, credibility and room to play with, toy around. Paid in full, money used is proof of effort, possibilities, resources, impeccability for some reason or notoriety, marketable quality, sign of investing in one’s career and wanting to be a true pro categorically in business.
These MBA-rules nowadays apply to artists. Any sign of hobbyist is bad for your career, so don’t screw up because it looks bad in a world where looking so good in the most important thing. One question one can ask is how much space this leaves for art to renew itself when to make conflict is essential. Business likeness, of course, does not say anything or much about the contents, quality and what one’s art is all about or what does it take to become an artist and endure. Or maybe it says all and that is enough. What is the work about when you do art? What is art. Surely MBA’s have a manual for how to be an artist, don’t you. This is funny as hell.
Website can be an art installation itself, piece of art. Giving advise how-to gets interesting. I obviously look like I need advising. The-right-way-to-do-art-instructions are everywhere, always there (do not do wrong because you will be a bad artist) and those who like to tell you your art is not art, family for example. What is the correct way for art to reveal itself? When is art at right place?
Do you get it? Do you really get it? Art is validated via wealth and having means which makes art luxury and narrows the odds for art to be everyday thing.
What is the cost of being an artist?
In the time of perfect images there is something about photos that are damaged.
Kronstadt 2001
I do not adjust to the art market, to policies of museums, galleries, obey the power used by those who like to use it to benefit themselves only. You adjust to art, to the artist, to the outside world, to those who consume art, to those who do not consume it. To consume art is a terrible thought itself. We have to find because it does not find us.
When there are people who place themselves above the artist because they have got the money, the contacts, the art places, authority to create art talk things get upside down, authority and hierarchy dictate what gets seen and what is considered interesting and important. When bureaucrats want to be the artist, look down on the artists, take power of the artist and manipulate the scene for themselves to appear in good light art is not free and the artists are slaves they obviously wish to be (scared idiots). It gets dull, uninteresting, serving to the system and its employees. Get rid of the staff who do not understand the meaning of change, who do not want to be part of change and making a change. People do not understand the meaning and character of art in the first place as it is isolated and made unapproachable. You like your job? What the fuck is your job? You like the money and your position too much?
Get used to uncertainty, to threat, to mockery, to poverty, unkindness, stupidity, irrationality. Your friends are not your friends, they turn against you as they see it beneficial for them. Are you walking the dog or is the dog walking you?
In addition
It is funny that often when an artist has a job she does not get paid for doing the job, because it is pay enough to be noticed and displayed. It is the joy of being an artist to give away one’s talent and work. So in this light those ‘jobs’ seem particularly uninteresting, humiliating and enslaving. The point of this kind of work remains to be considered not worth doing and having. In addition to that artist as a person and her work are likely on a whim and as a rule to be put down like trash. It is not uncommon to hear there are all kinds of artists (meaning crazy, obscure, obscene, unbalanced, dangerous, poor, bad, dirty, unworthy, suspicious, unpredictable etc) and that curator has to be careful whom to work with such sub-humans, introduce to partners and ask for dinner, as a curator once told me. Well to tell you, curator, if you recognize yourself pay attention, you are absolutely right and hopefully you will never work again. You have this little respect for artists as people and as workers you are in the wrong business.
Just to remind you PhD. candidacy, doctoral degree, artistry, position in an organization do not elevate you to treat people as unintelligent garbage. Never forget.
Am I suppose to think like an entrepreneur? Does it help or give direction to what kind of art and writing I do?
This is the current and has been ever since I went to art school the issue how to monetize art, skills and ideas. It is also big part of becoming an artist to learn to market oneself. To be an artist is to make a living by doing art. What kind of art would I be doing if I let market guide me. I would let the notion of what sells dictate what I do. But Henna you have to put a price tag on your work, it might help. To me it is the lamest thing in an exhibition. I turn away, sorry. Keep your ideals and market. To make money I could place ads on my sites. Sell space for companies. Aren’t there enough ads as it is.
As an artist I eventually as I present myself become a product. I have a message, frame and a name. Skills and ideas. An artist has to raise interest, be an interesting investment, be seen and noticed. My art pieces are unique items. Everything is for sale. My uniqueness is sold. One has to make a living. But one is not an artist, if one does not make any money. It is that simple. Is money that defines our work? Is money that gives value? I know it is a case of product thinking whether one chooses to make products or not, because we live in the world of products and merchandise. We are hungry to succeed. It is good to pay attention what is to succeed, is success measured by money and if so why is that?
I think there is the art market, sides of the centre and then there is the marginal, which isn’t even trying to lure buyers, please anyone’s eye. Marginal lives out of outsider status and freedom of it. That is what makes walking on the wild side interesting. Is it pleasing oneself only or looking for alternative ways of doing and saying? Probably all that. Then it is not a service, but is still art.