Love this. I've been removed from the United Statesian absurdity of equating success with cult-like celebrity status for a while now, and this was a nice refresher to understand what it's like for the artistic boots on the ground. The work is so much more important than the personality. It also happens to be the only one of the two that doesn't die. At some point in history we knew that. But the cult of personality culture, which has directly led to a white supremacist authoritarian president, has, to your point, seeped into the smallest recesses of our psyches ... there's got to be a reckoning with this sickness of believing life is about living in big, empty houses and getting rich. Here's to the journey of creation
Such a good read and many, many, many valid points. It’s only until you really breakdown that normalisation that things start to open up. Well you just opened the flood gates for people who had never thought this way about art, culture and celebrities, including me.
This was a necessary and timely serve—for culture and for me. In the throes of regret for not making good on my talent earlier—enough to be heralded as a worthwhile, popular figure in visual arts and expression—I needed the wake-up call that is this essay. The popularity contest that is relevance and reverence devours talent ad nauseam. We owe it to artists and ourselves to recognize that art worth its weight in gold achieves that heft through creation, not celebration. Thank you for this.
Oh, I agree. “Art is a lifestyle itself and can’t be defined by fame.” Yes!!
In the same kinda vein, I think that are awards and competitions are not very helpful, at best, and quite detrimental at worst. Here’s what artist and educator Robert Henri wrote about being rejected from exhibitions like this in the early 1900’s:
“Don’t worry about rejections. Everybody that’s good has gone through it. Don’t let it matter if your works are not “accepted” at once. The better or more personal you are, the less likely they are of acceptance. Just remember that the object of painting pictures is not simply to get them in exhibitions. It’s all very fine to have your pictures hung, but you are painting for yourself, not for the jury. I had many years of rejections.” (The Art Spirit, Robert Henri, 18)
And here’s a quote about competitions in general:
A Letter concerning prizes and medals…
(p.214-ƒƒ) “The pernicious influence of prize and medal giving in art is so great that it should be stopped. You can give prizes justly for long-distance jumps, because you can measure jumps with a foot-rule. No way has been devised for measuring the value of a work of art. History proves that juries in art have been generally wrong. With few exceptions the greatest artists have been repudiated by the art juries in all countries at all times. For a single example I will say that very few if any prizes or medals were awarded to the artists who are now in their old age, or after their death, the glory of France. In fact most of them did not get past the jury of admission. It’s not that critics do not mean well, or at least think they mean well, but it is simply that art cannot be measured.
This is very relevant to our society more and more. Everyone races to be the “first” or the poster child that opens the door for the next person. Instead of just soaking in the creativity of art in its own self, ppl rather drain the importance of having a higher sought out image to its very end for inspiration, thus draining the average creative of its appreciation to one’s craft if constantly being sought as an image for result purposes as opposed to the results being in the creativity alone.
Astute point indeed. I'm optimistic that given where United Statesian society is these days, there's going to be an unavoidable confrontation with the obsession with the cultures of comfort, complacency, and complicity in upholding a consumerist/celebrity culture that can't really ever end up in any other way than a zero sum game. I've lived in Paris for 15 years now as a writer and musician. Never in my life have I been asked how many books have I sold or who's my label. Those are the first two questions I'm asked in the USA.
I get your point. Remember who runs these major labels. Back in the early 2000s there was alot of backlash against the white man behind the black artist, specifically in rap, playing up the stereotypes. Today, it’s even worse. Across the board including the female artists. So I hear you!
whew. this is it!
Love this. I've been removed from the United Statesian absurdity of equating success with cult-like celebrity status for a while now, and this was a nice refresher to understand what it's like for the artistic boots on the ground. The work is so much more important than the personality. It also happens to be the only one of the two that doesn't die. At some point in history we knew that. But the cult of personality culture, which has directly led to a white supremacist authoritarian president, has, to your point, seeped into the smallest recesses of our psyches ... there's got to be a reckoning with this sickness of believing life is about living in big, empty houses and getting rich. Here's to the journey of creation
Perfectly said 😊🙏🏾
Such a good read and many, many, many valid points. It’s only until you really breakdown that normalisation that things start to open up. Well you just opened the flood gates for people who had never thought this way about art, culture and celebrities, including me.
Thank you 😌
Thank you for hearing me out.
This was a necessary and timely serve—for culture and for me. In the throes of regret for not making good on my talent earlier—enough to be heralded as a worthwhile, popular figure in visual arts and expression—I needed the wake-up call that is this essay. The popularity contest that is relevance and reverence devours talent ad nauseam. We owe it to artists and ourselves to recognize that art worth its weight in gold achieves that heft through creation, not celebration. Thank you for this.
I knew you would absolutely get it. Celebrity culture takes reins in every industry and we have to unlearn the history to truly make herstory.
the way you articulated my exact thoughts! excellent read.
thank you so much :) I thought it was just me feeling this way.
dope message
Thank you:)
Oh, I agree. “Art is a lifestyle itself and can’t be defined by fame.” Yes!!
In the same kinda vein, I think that are awards and competitions are not very helpful, at best, and quite detrimental at worst. Here’s what artist and educator Robert Henri wrote about being rejected from exhibitions like this in the early 1900’s:
“Don’t worry about rejections. Everybody that’s good has gone through it. Don’t let it matter if your works are not “accepted” at once. The better or more personal you are, the less likely they are of acceptance. Just remember that the object of painting pictures is not simply to get them in exhibitions. It’s all very fine to have your pictures hung, but you are painting for yourself, not for the jury. I had many years of rejections.” (The Art Spirit, Robert Henri, 18)
And here’s a quote about competitions in general:
A Letter concerning prizes and medals…
(p.214-ƒƒ) “The pernicious influence of prize and medal giving in art is so great that it should be stopped. You can give prizes justly for long-distance jumps, because you can measure jumps with a foot-rule. No way has been devised for measuring the value of a work of art. History proves that juries in art have been generally wrong. With few exceptions the greatest artists have been repudiated by the art juries in all countries at all times. For a single example I will say that very few if any prizes or medals were awarded to the artists who are now in their old age, or after their death, the glory of France. In fact most of them did not get past the jury of admission. It’s not that critics do not mean well, or at least think they mean well, but it is simply that art cannot be measured.
Sorry it’s so long!!!
I can tell you love to explore but yes I agree.
Honor the art, not the fame 🙏🏽… and that bit about being colleagues. This mindset is impressive and important. Thank you.
Speak on that
This is very relevant to our society more and more. Everyone races to be the “first” or the poster child that opens the door for the next person. Instead of just soaking in the creativity of art in its own self, ppl rather drain the importance of having a higher sought out image to its very end for inspiration, thus draining the average creative of its appreciation to one’s craft if constantly being sought as an image for result purposes as opposed to the results being in the creativity alone.
Astute point indeed. I'm optimistic that given where United Statesian society is these days, there's going to be an unavoidable confrontation with the obsession with the cultures of comfort, complacency, and complicity in upholding a consumerist/celebrity culture that can't really ever end up in any other way than a zero sum game. I've lived in Paris for 15 years now as a writer and musician. Never in my life have I been asked how many books have I sold or who's my label. Those are the first two questions I'm asked in the USA.
I get your point. Remember who runs these major labels. Back in the early 2000s there was alot of backlash against the white man behind the black artist, specifically in rap, playing up the stereotypes. Today, it’s even worse. Across the board including the female artists. So I hear you!