Do I want to make good work or be the influencer who paints? — on ‘personal branding’.

from “The Artist & the Art World” series.

A post announcing an art exhibition by painters consists of a photo of the painters sitting in a café or restaurant. The title of the exhibition refers to the painters personally and their friendship, rather than to their paintings.

A short film of a painter’s studio, made by an interior design YouTube channel, gets thousands of views. The film is more about their physical studio and them, the painter, than about their paintings.

These are minor details amongst many, I at times think, and a behaviour resulting from the times we live in. There are more serious issues to pay attention to, and maybe I should get on board and do such things myself or risk being left behind. I think about such things until, in this case, I see these painters’ paintings and immediately notice that the paintings need more time and attention, time and attention that the painters choose to devote to other things.

…

It may be that this way of doing things is another ‘kind’ altogether, a ‘kind’ whose aim is not the good work of art but to build a personal brand. It turns out to be useful for me to make the distinction between the two so I can clearly see which direction I want to take. Is my aim to create a good work of art, or is it to be the influencer who paints? Standing somewhere in the middle turns out to be uncomfortable: the conditions under which each is cultivated often disrupt the other.

…

The story continues on Substack here.

The series ‘The Artist & The Art World’ is about me navigating the art world. This writing is a way for me to comprehend what creation is, what the ‘artist’ is, to make it through the chaos of the art world and the world, in order for me to be able to stay sane. What I write is subjective; I jot down my observations, and I let my thoughts flow. Some of these may be unconnected, arguments may be incoherent, and I may change my mind and disagree with them later.

There’s only one person behind ART/IST, an artist trying to make sense of the art world and the world while also sharing some knowledge about art. I hope you get something out of my writing. Your comments are always welcome.