Visual Visionaries

Micol AzcarateStaff WriterClose your eyes and picture an artist. Not any particular one, just an artist. Now imagine this artist’s daily life, their habits, preferences, needs and wants. What do you see? Most people will envision an alcoholic man or woman in a dimly lit studio smoking a cigarette, disturbed (and a little disturbing) and perhaps even cutting off an ear or two. This lustful soul, constantly tormented by the mediocrity surrounding them, is the stereotypical model of the tortured, bohemian, “starving artist.” Fabricated overtime thanks to a mixture of Van Goghs and Modiglianis, this stereotype is an oversimplification and a fallacy nowadays.Your job doesn’t reflect who and how you are, so just like being an insurance agent doesn’t automatically make you sleazy, being an artist doesn’t imply you are cuckoo and unconventional. Like any profession, that of an artist requires confrontation with society and the “real world” and therefore a sense of responsibility.Advanced Placement (AP) Art teacher Amy Bouse is of the same mindset.“People tend to think that an artist’s job is just sitting in your studio painting with your cat,” Bouse said. “And it’s true to some extent, but there is much more to it. People have very romantic notions about art, but really it’s a business. We live in a capitalist society where we’re mostly governed by money, and artists are not exempt from that.”In all of Samo’s student body, a surprisingly low number of people wish to pursue visual art as a career. While many students are in AP Art and use art as their form of cathartic release, most picture themselves in a different occupation. The prospect of artistry is so uncertain and indefinite that many are scared to take the risk. The art world is vast, and the possibilities are so endless that it’s hard to find the perfect niche to explore and be creative in. Art has expanded and there are now so many forms of it, from fine arts to street art, so where do we draw the line? Some claim that art is already dead. From Pollock’s drip painting to Manzoni’s excrement in a can, everything, it would appear, has been experimented. But if there’s nothing left to explore, what future does the modern artist hold? What’s left outside the box?In the past, as during the Renaissance era, it was easier to know what to create. Wealthy patrons would pay artists to paint various “assignments,” usually glorifying the church or their family. Instead of being inspiration-driven, artists were mostly tradesmen much like carpenters.Senior and AP Art student Leonardo Lawrence believes to have found the balance between being spontaneous and professional art, which he thinks is the key to success.“I won’t always be in the mood to work, but sometimes in order to complete a project I need to think about it in terms of a job or a mission,” Lawrence said.What makes art so enticing, he explains, is the vagueness and the freedom it gives him, but these same qualities also make it easy to lose yourself.“Unlike math or science where you get a concrete answer, I deal with holding some kind of invisible clay and trying to sculpt it without seeing or feeling it. The end result is always a mystery, and that’s exciting,” Lawrence explained.Yet as much as art itself is a mystery, being an artist requires a form of conviction and confidence.“I wouldn’t be pursuing this if I didn’t have higher expectations than painting landscapes on Saturdays,” Lawrence said.Confidence and motivation often come from within. This strength to keep making art despite the obstacles put forth by fears is what makes young artists so exceptional. AP Art student, aspiring concept designer and senior Brigitte Prokhorenko is one of the few who truly does “reach for the stars.”“I am so sure that I was born to do these things that no matter what, I will keep at it until I succeed,” Prokhorenko said.Ultimately though, what exactly is success? Is it to be financially successful, or is it simply to do what you are passionate about even without an income? All around us we are told success is measured by one’s salary, but when it comes to the arts, this ideal is often blurred. This goes back to the concept of the “starving artist,” who sacrifices material comfort in order to keep making art. For some, leading this lifestyle of poverty isn’t discouraging and perhaps is even appealing, but for many others instead, it would be considered an utter failure.AP Art student and junior Catleya Sherbow who dreams of one day operating her own animation studio is not worried about money, as long as she has the resources to keep working.“I doubt I am going to make a lot of money doing this, but I will be doing something I love, love, love and that’s what matters to me” Sherbow said. “It would be nice if what I made became popular, and I have a feeling it might be, since I plan on providing a niche for those often left out. But really all I want to do is represent.”AP Art student and senior Chloe Wong agrees although she does wish to be able to support herself and be somewhat wealthy in the future. Fame isn’t her number one concern however, even though the reputation you have in the art world is often synonymous with your financial income.“I just want to be able to make art and sustain myself and live comfortably,” Wong said. “If I’m particularly proud of a piece I made then I’d love to be recognized for it, but that isn’t at the top of my priorities.”While Lawrence, Prokhorenko and Sherbow all have an idea of what path they wish to pursue art-wise, Wong is still unsure.“Right now I don’t have a specific art career in mind,” Wong said. “I’ve tried out all kinds of art and have enjoyed them all. I think just being able to express myself in such a visual way is what I want to continue doing. I’m hoping that going to college will help me make these decisions though I will probably have to do commercial art to sustain myself.”Luckily, nowadays we are virtually flooded by visual media, and for those interested in visual arts, inspiration can be found everywhere. There are so many careers available from graphic design to animation, that being undecided is not a problem. The “problem” instead is in the distinction between a master craftsman and an artist. In a few words, what isn’t emphasized enough is that the artist invents a new language, whereas the craftsman speaks it.An artist must create an idea, and a craftsman must take that idea, translate it and apply it.With Internet’s globalization, the 21st century makes art accessible to all those willing to play with fire, and in addition enables young artists to explore as many subjects  as they wish to. We are no longer encouraged to specialize in a single profession, instead it’s all about learning and absorbing as much as possible to then apply it to your work.“It’s good to be well rounded,” Bouse said. “To have other knowledge to draw [from] is crucial. Most likely, the more you know about science, the more you know about literature, the more interesting your work will be.”Prokhorenko plans on doing precisely that.“I’ve always wanted to contribute to the world both creatively and scientifically, so my most recent decision is that I need to pursue something academic as well as artistic,” Prokhorenko said. “My goal right now is to double major in illustration and physics.”In light of all that, maybe the key question isn’t really whether the modern aspiring artist’s objective should be success or pursuing their passion. Maybe it is instead whether they want to be artists or artisans. mazcarate@thesamohi.com