Are you an artist?

[dddemain]

I think anyone making club music, whether its house or garage or dubstep or whatever will end up compromising artistic integrity in order to make their tunes playable.

[hasezwei]

I think anyone making club music, whether its house or garage or dubstep or whatever will end up compromising artistic integrity in order to make their tunes playable.

this. there are some exceptions of course, and to some artistic vision and club compability might overlap to varying degrees.
but overall you hit the nail on the head.

Every human is an artist. Some of what is being discussed is whether someone is a professional artist, which is decided by income.

That's just semantics and word games, the fact is there are some that have "It" and some that don't. This is determined by a combination of intent (powered by will/perseverance/practice) and perceptions of the audience.

Saying everyone is an artist but some are professionals is just being politically correct or saying everyone gets a trophy. All you need to do is watch American Idol.

And where do you get the idea income has anything to do with whether someone is an artist or not? Many of the best artists (determined by society) have lived most of their lives poor and died in relative poverty.

Edited because I got nasty for no reason, sorry.

[Sharmaji]

music may be one of the arts-- ie, a clearly-defined pathway of creative expression-- but simply making music does not necessarily mean that you're making "art." I think it's a worthwhile thing for every creative person to think about, whether what they make is craft or art. Neither is more valuable than the other, but it's good to know where you stand on things.

Personally i've got no interest in being an artist in the modern musical sense of the word-- being the one on the front lines, pushing your product to the masses. On the other hand, I have great fun--and do a great job at-- helping artists achieve their goals.

[OfficialDAPT]

I definitely don't consider myself an artist. Once I'm able to create strong emotions with the music I make, then, maybe.

[fragments]

imo,If you can imagine something then take that idea and display it by whatever medium(to a good standard) so everyone else can get the picture, your an artist to some degree

Basically what I've been trying to say, but in one nice simple sentence.

I think anyone making club music, whether its house or garage or dubstep or whatever will end up compromising artistic integrity in order to make their tunes playable.

We could get into things about working within limitations being a path to creativity, but I think that'd be slightly off base. I agree, nothing wrong with making bangers, they serve their purpose--purpose being the key word. Dance tunes are meant to be catchy and disposable. A lot of party goers/clubbers don't know DJs or genres let alone producers and the names of tunes.

music may be one of the arts-- ie, a clearly-defined pathway of creative expression-- but simply making music does not necessarily mean that you're making "art." I think it's a worthwhile thing for every creative person to think about, whether what they make is craft or art. Neither is more valuable than the other, but it's good to know where you stand on things.

Personally i've got no interest in being an artist in the modern musical sense of the word-- being the one on the front lines, pushing your product to the masses. On the other hand, I have great fun--and do a great job at-- helping artists achieve their goals.

Ah, the old "folk crafts/craftsman" versus "art/artist" debate. Love this one. Couldn't agree more. For example, I know some really great guitar players that are able to do what others have done well, but can't write a decent tune to save their lives. Craftsmen.

I dunno that'd I'd even honor those people you mention in the last paragraph with the term artist. Though a lot of artists in other fields are becoming more and more salesmen trying to sell a product. I can barely stand to go to a modern art museum these days because of some of the weird drivel that get's called art.


@general discussion: don't mean to seem like I'm on the war path here...but I've professionally and personally pursued things people call art (writing professionally, music personally) for a long time and "what makes someone an artist" can get my hackles up quit easily.

[blinx]

Wiki Definition (cause im like that ;P) - An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts, and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only. The term is often used in the entertainment business, especially in a business context, for musicians and other performers (less often for actors).

Food for thought: a Black Belt in karate, has learned all the techniques to perform all the moves/stances/etc. He is an artist when he engages these activites even though what he is doing is the same exact stance/position/form any other blackbelt would perform. He can demonstrate his knowledge and he is a martial artist.

In a sense alot of the Technical "circle jerkyness" is in fact still art, at least to me. We are taking the time to respect and participate in the produciton/music creation artform (activites) and when we produce a track regardless how cookie cutter or avante guard it might be, it is still 100% art. The same way the black belt performs his moves/techniques we as producers perform and show off our learned skills as it pertains to our choosen dicipline.

So yes i am an artist and i have a diverse skillset not only in music but many other aspects of my life. just my 2 cents anyway.

[Jizz]

dont really care about how artistic i am tbh, i just stitch up different sounds together and see what happens

[test_recordings]

The karate analogy is good because it's about someone using all the tools and techniques at their disposal to achieve an affect with no guidance, no set form, etc.

You generally achieve a Japanese black belt, which is actually considered the start of learning a martial art, not the end, by mastering all the techniques necessary and demonstrating in a set patterns THEN beating a higher belt in a fight (i.e. without guidance). At some point most martial arts award black belt grades for helping the dojo and teaching others - an art in itself. There are maybe 10 coloured grades then 15 black grades, technical proficiency as a sole basis of achieving the next grade stops around 4th black belt.

[nameless133]

I consider myself as a music maker like Aphex Twin said.

[skimpi]

I dont get people on about an artist being someone who can recreate the perfect idea thats in their head. I rarely have fully formed ideas in my head, like a full tune, ill have a beat maybe, or a melody, but most of my music making is sitting down and messing around till something sounds good and then using that. Does that make it any less of a piece of 'art' because it wasnt created originally form an idea?

[Nibzz]

I see music as an art solely because it putting something out there in a form that isn't words, description, narration of the times etc. and putting it out there for anyone who wants to see it, to see it. And so by default producers and such must be artist.

Although most artists make a lot of money so does that mean Skrillex, Nero and Datsik are artists but someone like me isn't?

[fragments]

I see music as an art solely because it putting something out there in a form that isn't words, description, narration of the times etc. and putting it out there for anyone who wants to see it, to see it. And so by default producers and such must be artist.

Although most artists make a lot of money so does that mean Skrillex, Nero and Datsik are artists but someone like me isn't?

Why do you all keep linking financial success to someone being an artist? That makes no sense to me, most things (in general) that make tons of money are watered down drivel. Good art usually pushes boundaries and is "edgy" and outside the mainstream...once it becomes too mainstream other artists try to forge a new path.

[Nibzz]

Why do you all keep linking financial success to someone being an artist? That makes no sense to me, most things (in general) that make tons of money are watered down drivel. Good art usually pushes boundaries and is "edgy" and outside the mainstream...once it becomes too mainstream other artists try to forge a new path.

True.

I was just pointing out that a lot of artists do well from it, financially. It doesn't make it any better though, musically or otherwise - Damien Hirst for example.

[test_recordings]

Most artists don't make shit off it though they just do it because they like it. Also, what you consider an 'artist' might be stretching it a bit too much as some people don't write their own tunes etc

[Monosphere]

I can't considering myself an artist because what I make is usually never completely planned. When I look at or hear things that I consider art, generally seem very authentic. Like these people sat down and created these things from a place in their mind where they stored said information until it was time to create. For me that doesn't happen........ever.

Maybe this is why I don't consider a lot of electronic producers artists either. I would never consider Skrillex's music to be art because I know the general rule of thumb behind most of the music is to just fuck with something until it sounds good. To me that's just experimenting, that's not artistry. It's like people who paint pictures by just throwing paint at a piece of paper. That's not art to me.

I think until I can sit down at my computer and create a song by actually writing it out and planning everything ahead of time, something where none of the important pieces of the music are happy accidents, I will never consider myself an artist.

[Efrafa11]

Its funny some of you mention black belts and karate as I picked up a book recently called Zen guitar which mixes eastern philosophy
with music making.
One of the main points is that you can have all the technical prowes in the world but you may still remain a white belt.
The way of acheiving your black belt is through dirtying your white belt till the point it looks black.
The mark of a true master is when they have frayed there black belt to the point of turning white again.
As in this is no mastery just a constent journey of learning.

[hasezwei]

Its funny some of you mention black belts and karate as I picked up a book recently called Zen guitar which mixes eastern philosophy
with music making.
One of the main points is that you can have all the technical prowes in the world but you may still remain a white belt.
The way of acheiving your black belt is through dirtying your white belt till the point it looks black.
The mark of a true master is when they have frayed there black belt to the point of turning white again.
As in this is no mastery just a constent journey of learning.

[fragments]

Its funny some of you mention black belts and karate as I picked up a book recently called Zen guitar which mixes eastern philosophy
with music making.
One of the main points is that you can have all the technical prowes in the world but you may still remain a white belt.
The way of acheiving your black belt is through dirtying your white belt till the point it looks black.
The mark of a true master is when they have frayed there black belt to the point of turning white again.
As in this is no mastery just a constent journey of learning.

Way better than the other martial arts / karate analogy

[hudson]

For instance, one single repeat of a delay on one note will repeat again and again and again, maybe changing as it goes through the cycle as it is altered by a filter to sculpt it's form, though it is that same note as much as a child goes through life to become an adult before ultimately dying and the inherent energy of the body becomes something else.

2deep4me

I just wanna make the bitches twerk.