Artist's artist

Isabelle Graw, High Price: Art between the market and Celebrity Culture, Berlin: Sternberg Press, 2009, pp. 81-94 & 112-116.

Isabelle Graw is an Art critic and a professor for Art history and Art theory. In this text she discusses the artist’s artist verse the market’s artist, in which one is creating for oneself in contrast to the other, whom is creating for pure profit.

The idea that an artist’s artist could really exist is somewhat wishful thinking. Artist’s artist implies that the artist is only making art for the acknowledgement from their peers or to further the art. This ideal is very attractive but to afford their basic human needs must receive some income be it from the museum or from sales of art.

One of the problems with income from the museum or art institution is that in funding the work it is already being seen as art and by that extent is already being turned into commodity.

Whilst the market artist’s success is measured in a money value the artist’s artist has their success is measured in the popularity they have amongst their peers, which can also eventuate into investors capitalising on something they see as potential investment art.

The only safe place is in art schools which try to prevent the market infiltrating the artists’ work to give students space enabling them to grow their concepts beyond the idea of just producing commodity.

An abstract taken from well-established German artist Dirk Skreber whom is very flexible in his approaches to his works (using  realistic painting, abstract painting and sculpture installation) states just as he takes a shift in painting styles

            Over a decade ago I came across a centuries-old Chinese story about artists who, once they began to achieve fame and success, cut all ties with their names and took on new ones. Their desire to work under a new identity instead of basking in their fame and wealth impresses me immensely, and I have great respect for those who committed to this decision and its aftermath. The philosophical depth of this act is immeasurable. While I am in awe, however, I could never do it myself. The permanent consequences of such an undertaking, while certainly daunting, are not alone what would deter me.” (“Exhibition no.2”)

Skrebers admiration for these artist shows but it also provides an excellent example that the artist’s artist however mobile in their practice is surely a myth and that the artist’s artist is trapped by the market just as much as is everyone else.

Isabelle Graw, High Price: Art between the market and Celebrity Culture, Berlin: Sternberg Press, 2009, pp. 81-94 & 112-116.

Skreber, D “Exhibition no.2” Friedrich Petzel Gallery.  [accessed 17/5/11] <www.petzel.com/exhibitions/2010-04-03_dirk-skreber/>