Role of the Artist
"Here at TL we are of this city, we are a part of our city."
- Reginald Eldridge
Today we took time to explore some pertinent questions related to the field of art.
What is an artist?
Someone who doesn't conform to society
Anyone who sets out to express themselves or other people
In its simplest form, someone who creates, designs, or innovates
An artist is just a person who does stuff: it depends on what you’re thinking-- the artist does their thing, people perceive whether or not it’s art--- it’s a matter of opinion
There’s an art to life and to the way people do things. Doesn’t that make us all artists?
What we (TL) have in common: we all have an idea of our art and a want to express ourselves
An artist can’t be defined because there’s no right or wrong to art
An artist is a person who is able to express themselves through any means or mediums, such as through gestures or words, or with paper and pencils, etc.
We’re all artists whether we think so or not. We all bring something different to the table- to this little community at the AIC
I feel like all of us are here because we know that we want to create art- not everyone wants to create art
Why do people (who don’t identify directly as ‘artist’) make art?
Because it makes them happy. Art for some people is a way to get out those repressed emotions
Art is another form of communication that humans have, like language. When artists use art, they have a message they want to convey to their audiences.
Let’s say you define yourself as an artist: you train, you get good at it, people see you as an artist… what are your responsibilities? Or do you have any responsibilities?
You don’t have to do anything
If you’re someone who is more well known, you might be able to use your art in a socially responsible way and to stand against injustice
Their responsibility is to themselves more than other people. They would be irresponsible if they were to conform to what everyone else thinks. Artists are only responsible to themselves because when they start trying to impress others, it takes the value and creativity out of their work. They are demonstrating ignorance when not creating for themselves
RJ ended the session with this question for the teens to explore further on their own:
If an artist is just a person… don’t people have responsibilities to each other?
What do you think!?