Where have I been?
I did have an epiphany about being an artist versus a maker of things. I have thought a lot about artistic vision. I really never considered myself an artist because I couldn't consciously call up an artistic vision. On the drive to work one morning it came to me that my vision is my perception of this existence. The impulse to make things is part of my physiology and the way I see things is built from just being in this realm of life. So. My vision has been present the whole time. I have nothing to say with the things I make other than to celebrate what is around me. Can I call myself an artist now? Does it matter? Okay, okay, this is the definition (that I must credit to Craig Roland, Art Ed. Professor at UF) of an artist that I like the best:
An artist is a person that makes life special.
I had this idea of using my daily visual journal pages as blog entries.
2 comments:
Hi Kate!
It was great to see you at the Thornebrook Fest Saturday. Your handmade books are wonderful! I was surfing around the 'net this weekend and thought I'd see if you had a website, and found this blog.
Anyway...the topic of your post is interesting. This sentiment must be in the air. Just this week there was a similar discussion on the UF Ceramics Listserv. Why is that term "artist" so slippery? Why is it that others apply it more easily to us than we do to ourselves? I would certainly apply to to YOU, and in fact, seeing your work Saturday totally inspired me to go do some of my own...
We should do lunch sometime...catch up on art and libraries...
Ann Lindell
Hi Kate! I really like this post. I've often had the identity crisis you mention--"Am I a real artist?" I've tended to label myself as a crafter and not an artist, which is interesting to think about. Is it because I work mainly with repurposing junky items like old waffle irons rather than refined art supplies like oil paints? At any rate, thanks for encouraging us all to think about who artists truly are!
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