Originally posted by the Sibbie What's your definition of an "artist"?
An artist is someone who does art.
Originally posted by the Sibbie Only those that create visual art?
The physical medeum or sensory organs involved in conveying art from one person to another only matter as they relate to that which is being conveyed. Art is an endeavor; it's not defined by process or medium.
Originally posted by the Sibbie Your narrow definition of art seems to only apply to visual art, which I guess is to be expected coming from one who has such a refined education in art.
You should wait until you get an answer before you jump to negative conclusions like this.
Originally posted by the Sibbie It seems artist is broadly used term. While they are have more specific names musicans, singers, painters, composers and magicians these are all still called artists (unless that is now no longer politically correct). Then again, as I've observed before, hoity-toities are pretty particular when it comes to using terms from their area of expertise.
I would suppose that it's their expertise that allows them to be more particular, don't you think? People who spend a great deal of time and money and effort to become experts in a particular field might resent some ignoramus who has never bothered to learn anything about that field spouting off as if he were some sort of know-it-all.
Musicans, singers, painters, composers and magicians are musicans, singers, painters, composers and magicians. They are not artists. Artists are people who do art. It's true that some artists convey their art through music, for example, and thus they can also be called a "musician" as music is sound arranged by human beings for a purpose. But in this case the purpose is art, and so although this artist is a musician, he/she is principally an artist.
Here is an example: Laurie Anderson received her BFA in sculpture, but then went to the Julliard School of Music for her masters. As a result she became what's knows an a "performance artist" who's performances mostly involved her playing a violin along with some pre-taped sounds and some visual projections. But even though her performances involved "music", their primary function was as art. I admit that with some artists, like Laurie Anderson, the lines become somewhat overlapped. But the way these things are classified, and for the most part always have been, is by focussing on the represented intent of whatever it is we're experiencing.
Art is a category of human endeavor. It's a very peculiar category of human endeavor in that it's defined by it's lack of definition. By that I mean that art is the endeavor we are engaged in when we begin actively exploring our own cognition; how we are relating to the world around us, and what meaning we are deriving from these relationships.
