# Do you consider yourself an artist?



## runnah (Jan 28, 2013)

The reason I ask is because when I think of an artist I think of people in berets drinking wine and acting snooty. I love art, but hate prototypical artists. 

I do consider myself a photographer and a graphic designer. Just not an _artist_. 

So how do you define yourself? How do you define an artist?


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## sm4him (Jan 28, 2013)

Well, I like to drink.  Not necessarily wine, though. And I love art. And I know some snooty people. I even know a guy who wears a beret. Does that qualify me as an artist? 

Okay, seriously:
Yes, I consider myself an artist. Just not an especially good one. 
I ALSO consider myself a photographer. Just not an especially good one of those, either.

But--for ME--I'm not ALWAYS creating "art" when I'm doing photography, and I'm certainly not always doing photography when I create art.

Artists, just like ANY other group of people, are quite a varied lot. I suppose there IS the snooty, wine-drinking, beret-wearing type, but most of the really talented artists I know are also some of the most interesting, enjoyable people I know. I like to pretend that they see ME that way, too. 

EDIT: I think of the snooty beret-wearers more as the "art critics" the art "aficionado."


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## ronlane (Jan 28, 2013)

After 9 months, I really don't know what to classify myself so I'd say inbetween. I wouldn't go as far to call myself an artist but others might see it differently. I don't see a need to put myself into a box like that. I enjoy taking pictures of different types and learning and trying to get better. If it's art, then great, if not, no sweat.

PS for what it's worth, I look dumb in a beret, but I will drink wine (in or out of the box) but I'm just a regular guy so no snooty here.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 28, 2013)

I don't really classify myself, except as a fat, bald guy who likes cheeseburgers and Merlot... and I HATE berets! Does that help?


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## o hey tyler (Jan 28, 2013)

Considering I'm a beret wearing commie pinko... I'll have to go with that one.


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## PixelRabbit (Jan 28, 2013)

This is destined to degenerate into an argument that can be boiled down to semantics.
I shall answer before that occurs.
Yes, I consider myself an artist and photography is my chosen medium.


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## gsgary (Jan 28, 2013)

Yes piss artist  might be called something different in US


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## amolitor (Jan 28, 2013)

If you call yourself an artist, but also wear a beret, you probably are not. You're probably a poseur.

Yeah, I'm an artist. I even make art sometimes.


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## runnah (Jan 28, 2013)

amolitor said:


> Yeah, I'm an artist. I even make art sometimes.



There's the nubb. I create 8hrs a day but I wouldn't consider it art. It's all well done and visually appealing, but not art. 

I do maybe 2hrs a week of "art" outside of work.


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## amolitor (Jan 28, 2013)

Yeah. You gotta figure out what the heck art *is* for one thing. Once I sorted that out well enough to suit myself, I started to get someplace. Turns out that most of what I do pretty much fails, but very now and then something hits and it's pretty good.


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## Demers18 (Jan 28, 2013)

PixelRabbit said:
			
		

> .
> Yes, I consider myself an artist and photography is my chosen medium.



I think you nailed the description quite nicely Judy. That is precisely how I would categorize myself.


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## runnah (Jan 28, 2013)

amolitor said:


> Yeah. You gotta figure out what the heck art *is* for one thing.



Therein lies the crux of my failed topic. What art is and who defines it.


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## amolitor (Jan 28, 2013)

If you're wondering if you're an artist or not, you get to define what art is for yourself. Then ask yourself if that's what you're doing.

I've known people who felt that art was in all things they did, their work, their food, the way the cooked, ate, lived, and existed in the world. They're artists! And, arguably, Buddhists.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 28, 2013)

Art is a nicely done Bacon Cheeseburger, of course!   

And sometimes a towel, depending on what universe you are in....


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## Designer (Jan 28, 2013)

In before the thread is locked!

YEAHHHA!


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## runnah (Jan 28, 2013)

Maybe I should stick to commenting...


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## KmH (Jan 28, 2013)

It depends on how the photo turned out.

If everyone that sees it ohs and ahs, I'm an artist.


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## rexbobcat (Jan 28, 2013)

I am not an artist. I wish I was, but I instinctively roll my eyes at most fine art photography.

All of the technicalities of photography are for the sellouts after all. lol


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## TCampbell (Jan 28, 2013)

I'm a drinker... with a camera.    I don't own any berets.  

Also I'd like to point out that if you drink _enough_ then it's easier to talk at length about the "deep" meaning of a photo of a white wall.  ;-)


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## e.rose (Jan 28, 2013)

Yes.

And I drink wine.

But I drink my wine out of stemless glasses.  Or OJ glasses when I run out of the 2 wine glasses that we own.  Or solo cups.  As a last resort.  And my wine usually costs less than $10 a bottle. And I buy it based on alcohol content.  

I think anyone who creates art ... is an artist.  The type of person you're describing is called, "Pretentious a$$hole".

There are some of them here, on this very forum, in fact.  ...Although they may not dress exactly as you describe, but all the other personality-related symptoms are there.


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## Majeed Badizadegan (Jan 28, 2013)

Runnah, thx for including bacon in your poll. 

But since there is no option for bacon wrapped bacon, I'm going to call your poll what it is: A fraud!!!


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## Mully (Jan 28, 2013)

van Gough drank absent and cut off his ear ...guess that makes him an artist.


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## leeroix (Jan 28, 2013)

i think anyone who is creative is an artist. no matter what the medium. you can hear art after all...


some however, are more creative than others...


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## runnah (Jan 28, 2013)

Sorry I didn't know the protocol beyond including bacon.


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## Majeed Badizadegan (Jan 28, 2013)

runnah said:


> Sorry I didn't know the protocol beyond including bacon.



Bacon protocols vary from region to region, but bacon infractions usually warrant severe consequences, such as removal of said bacon. 

Because? Bacon.


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## skieur (Jan 28, 2013)

I have supervised, those that think they are artists.:lmao:

skieur


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## Designer (Jan 28, 2013)

I think what most people object to are the pompous artists who think their art doesn't stink.  

Believe me; they are in every field of creative endeavor.  

And they are actually no better artists, they just think they are.  

And they have invested much of their persona in making other people believe they are something special.

Whenever I encounter someone like that, I take a long hard look at their "art" and simply judge for myself whether it is any good or not.


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## thunderkyss (Jan 28, 2013)

ronlane said:


> PS for what it's worth, I look dumb in a beret...



Yeah, you keep telling yourself it's the beret.


J/k

I don't consider myself an artist by any means, nor do I consider myself a photographer. Somehow I found myself in this "world" & I find it interesting. I'm just learning as much as I can, until the next thing catches my whim.


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## bhop (Jan 28, 2013)

I'm just a hack.. FWIW, I chose bacon.


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## Solarflare (Jan 29, 2013)

Well, I guess I'm trying to produce art, so that makes me an artist.

Feels very bold to actually claim that, though. I have no actual education as an artist.


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## PixelRabbit (Jan 29, 2013)

Solarflare said:


> Feels very bold to actually claim that, though. I have no actual education as an artist.



It does doesn't it? I felt the same saying it point blank but one thing I've learned by posting here, you HAVE to own it! Whether it is posting your work or saying you are an artist if you don't believe it nobody else will.


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## dbvirago (Jan 29, 2013)

Looking at some of the work on here, I barely consider myself a photographer.


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## Benco (Jan 29, 2013)

Artist, who also takes a few photographs.


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## KmH (Jan 29, 2013)

Can I substitute one of my Tilleys for a beret. Tilley Endurables T4MO Eco-Airflo Hat,Khaki/Olive,7.5


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## terri (Jan 30, 2013)

PixelRabbit said:


> Solarflare said:
> 
> 
> > Feels very bold to actually claim that, though. I have no actual education as an artist.
> ...


Good girl.   

However, it does help when you know your stuff.   After that you can call yourself any damn thing you want to.   With or without the beret!


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## cgipson1 (Jan 30, 2013)

Arrrgghhh... Bacon is losing! Bunch of elitist Poseurs!  lol!


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## cgipson1 (Jan 30, 2013)

KmH said:


> Can I substitute one of my Tilleys for a beret. Tilley Endurables T4MO Eco-Airflo Hat,Khaki/Olive,7.5



Great.. now I am going to have to buy you a drink.....


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## kundalini (Jan 30, 2013)

I have a couple of Kangols.  If I cock it over my right ear, does that count?  
I occasionally cartoon.  Does that count?
I've read a couple art design books.  Does that count?
I've read a few photography books. Does that count?
I occasionally eat bacon.  Does that count?

No?  Okay then, Iz takz purdy pickchures.


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## ph0enix (Jan 30, 2013)

Throwing 'bacon' into the mix is simply unfair.  How could anyone resist?


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## cgipson1 (Jan 30, 2013)

Come on, People! MORE VOTES FOR BACON! (gotta keep things in perspective here!)  lol!


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## invisible (Jan 30, 2013)

As a card-carrying Bacon Artist, I think the poll is fraught with fraud.


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## dbvirago (Jan 30, 2013)

Yeah, I used my poll results decoder ring and some people have claimed to be artists and bacon.


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## mishele (Jan 30, 2013)

_*Yes*_...


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## hippiebrian (Jan 30, 2013)

Okay, this dude made a bust of Kevin Bacon out of bacon.  Now that's an artist!


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## MiFleur (Jan 30, 2013)

I have such a nice collection of hats I can wear
Graphic designer, 
Sales person
Business women
Mother
teacher
Photographer
and more 
I think that my artistic sense has been used much more being a mother and a teacher than anything else.
For me being an artist is a mood that passes according to the situations I live.
But I do have some artistic abilities, however they don't define me.
and I like wine!


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## skieur (Jan 30, 2013)

MiFleur said:


> I have such a nice collection of hats I can wear
> Graphic designer,
> Sales person
> Business women
> ...



Excellent!  Caused me to think of what hats I have worn:

Television Producer
Television Director
Multi-media Producer and Presenter
Audio Technician
Journalist
Photographer
Computer Animator
Television Editor
Teaching teachers how to teach.

And even artist, on rare occasions.


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## rexbobcat (Jan 30, 2013)

skieur said:
			
		

> Excellent!  Caused me to think of what hats I have worn:
> 
> Television Producer
> Television Director
> ...



Wow! It's amazing how our previous titles match so perfectly. I have had the pleasure of enjoying a few more fairly prestigious titles than you have but that's neither here nor there.

Us multi talented "jack of all trades, masters of none" must stick together after all


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## Dikkie (Feb 5, 2013)

runnah said:


> I do consider myself a photographer and a graphic designer. Just not an _artist_.
> 
> So how do you define yourself? How do you define an artist?



If someone on this planet one day watches your work and says it's art, then the creator of it, is the artist? 
Considered by that person, anyway.

You can, yourself, always say that you're _not _an artist, just to act snooty.


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## TheFantasticG (Feb 5, 2013)

Artist? No. Documentarian? Yes.


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## ColRay (Feb 5, 2013)

Artist NO!although over the years I have won a couple of art awards.


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## ColRay (Feb 5, 2013)

In Australia we once had Sir Leslie  Colin "Les" Patterson cultural attaché to the Yartz. and on the subject of Yartz  a few years back artists in the upper echelon where invited to submit for a very up-market exhibition .  Myself and a few matesnot so arty  where not invited , so over a few glasses of red wine we  formulated a  PISS TAKING entry   .. Not only was it accepted but was a feature article in one of those snotty art magazines


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## ralphh (Feb 5, 2013)

I do - not because I think I'm so great that art shines out of my backside every time I bend over, but because generally when I take a photo, it's because I had some preconceived vision about what I wanted to _create_ - I very realy try to document reality, and I get cross when people tell me a photo has wrong exposure, white balance, etc -- if it's blue and mostly burnt out, it's because I wanted it to be blue and mostly burn out, not because I can't find the white balance and exposure sliders - that's what I wanted to create - I don't really give damn what reality actually looked like at the time I pressed the button - reality was just there to save me a lot of drawing / painting, which I suck at 

Also, I like drinking wine.  but I hate hats, so maybe I'm just a bad artist


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## Dp-PARIS (Feb 5, 2013)

I do since a French photography magazine (their website is photo.fr) approached me, then wrote a small piece about my latest project and called me an artist


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## ralphh (Feb 5, 2013)

^^ Wow, congrats, that's pretty cool!! :thumbup::thumbup:

Oh, also, I am an artist because I'm narcissistic enough to have my pictures all over the walls at home, and no-one elses :lmao:


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## Dp-PARIS (Feb 5, 2013)

Thanks! First time ever for me, so I was over the moon...


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## Steve5D (Feb 6, 2013)

I was going to reply "Somewhere in the middle" but, being a good red-blooded American, I simply couldn't allow the "bacon" option to pass me by...


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## SJphoto (Feb 7, 2013)

Yes, I do. As a photographer and creative visionary, I create what I visualize before I capture the image.


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## IconicPhotosUK (Feb 11, 2013)

I think it depends on how I am photographing the subject. If I am taking regular photographs then no, but if I am looking at something in particular and working on positioning etc then yes. Also it depends on how much post processing and editing is done and what your aims are when it comes to editing the photograph.


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## Virginia (Feb 20, 2013)

I am a traditional artist with paint. And I do consider photography an art though I'm not much good at it.
I do like to wear berets. Not because I'm an artist but because I look adorable in a beret. 
Our local butcher is a heck of a literary artist. I think some of you may appreciate his work..


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