AngelPlanetaryTruths: CREATION

2025-09-06T09:43:15Z

CREATION

New page

{{Short description|Person creating art or practicing the arts}}
{{About|the person who is engaged in arts|the person that is also known as an artist|Singing{{!}}Singer}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Multiple issues|{{Original research|date=October 2024}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2024}}
{{Globalize|date=April 2021}}}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}

[[File:Artist at Porthstinian, Penmaen Dewi, Sir Benfro (Pembrokeshire), Cymru 06.jpg|250px|thumb|A [[painter]] at work in [[St Justinian]], [[Wales]] in 2021]]

An '''artist''' is a person engaged in creating [[art]], or practicing [[the arts]]. The most common usage in everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the [[visual arts]] only.

However, the term is also very widely used in the [[show business|entertainment business]] to refer to [[actor]]s, [[musician]]s, [[Singing|singers]], [[dance]]rs and other [[Performing arts#Performers|performers]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-16 |title=Definition of ARTIST |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/artist |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=www.merriam-webster.com |language=en}}</ref> The [[French language|French]] word '''''artiste''''' is sometimes used in [[English language|English]] in this context, although this has become old-fashioned. The use of the term "artist" to describe [[writer]]s is valid, but less common, and mostly restricted to contexts such as critics' reviews;<ref>{{Cite web |title=Meaning of artist in English |url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/artist}}</ref> "[[author]]" is generally used instead.

While the use of the word 'artist' is common, there is no agreed upon definition of art<ref>{{Citation |title=Theories of Art Today |place=Madison, Wis |publisher=University of Wisconsin Press |year=2000 |editor-last=Carroll |editor-first=Noël |language=en-us |isbn=0299163547}}</ref>—this makes the definition of who is and is not an artist [[Indeterminacy (philosophy)|indeterminate]]. Many artist and theorists still debate their interpretation of art's definition.<ref>{{Citation |title=Theories of Art Today |place=Madison, Wis |publisher=University of Wisconsin Press |year=2000 |editor-last=Carroll |editor-first=Noël |language=en-us |isbn=0299163547}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|text=I am only pointing out that my project, like Collingwood's, Osborne's, and others', is ''metaphysical'' in nature. I am interested in trying to find out what a work of art ''is'' and what it is ''essentially''.|author=James C. Anderson|title=Aesthetic Concepts of Art|source=Theories of Art Today page 68}}

==Dictionary definitions==
{{Wiktionary|artist}}
[[File:Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein - Goethe in the Roman Campagna - Google Art Project.jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein]], ''[[Goethe in the Roman Campagna]]'', 1787 – portrait of [[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]], a German author known for his works of poetry, drama, and prose, on philosophy, the visual arts, and science]]

The ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' defines the older, broader meanings of the word "artist":

* a learned person or [[Master of Arts]],
* one who pursues a practical science, traditionally [[medicine]], [[astrology]], [[alchemy]], [[chemistry]],
* a follower of a pursuit in which [[skill]] comes by study or practice,
* a follower of a manual art, such as a [[mechanic]],
* one who makes their [[craft]] a fine art, or
* one who cultivates one of the [[fine arts]]–traditionally the arts presided over by the [[muses]]
The [[Encyclopædia Britannica|Britannica Dictionary]] defines "artist" as:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Artist Definition & Meaning {{!}} Britannica Dictionary |url=https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/artist |access-date=2025-06-18 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

* a person who creates art,
* a person who is skilled at drawing, painting, etc.,
* a skilled performer, or
* a person who is very good at something

The [[Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary|Cambridge Dictionary]] defines the word as:

* someone who paints, draws, or makes sculptures,
* someone who performs music, or
* someone who creates things with great skill and imagination

==[[Etymology]] – history of the term==
=== [[Ancient Greece]] (1100 BC-330 AD) ===
[[File:Varvakeion Athena.jpg|thumb|The [[Varvakeion Athena]], a Roman-era statue of Athena Parthenos considered to be the most faithful reproduction of the chryselephantine statue made by [[Pheidias]] and his assistants, as displayed in the [[National Archaeological Museum, Athens]]]]

The [[Greek language|Greek]] word {{Lang|el-latn|techně}} ({{Langx|el|{{wikt-lang|en|τέχνη}}|tékhnē|art, skill, craft}}; {{IPA|grc|tékʰnɛː|lang|link=yes}}, {{IPA|el|ˈtexni|label=[[Modern Greek]]:|Ell-Techni.ogg}}), often translated as "art", implies mastery of any sort of craft.

In [[Culture of Greece|Greek culture]], each of the nine [[Muses]] oversaw a different field of human creation:
* [[Calliope]] (the "beautiful of speech"): chief of the muses and muse of [[epic poetry|epic or heroic poetry]]
* [[Clio]] (the "glorious one"): muse of [[history]]
* [[Erato]] (the "amorous one"): muse of [[love poetry|love or erotic poetry]], [[lyrics]], and marriage songs
* [[Euterpe]] (the "well-pleasing"): muse of [[music]] and [[lyric poetry]]
* [[Melpomene]] (the "chanting one"): muse of [[tragedy]]
* [[Polyhymnia]] or Polymnia (the "[singer] of many [[hymn]]s"): muse of [[Religious music|sacred song]], [[Public speaking|oratory]], lyric, [[singing]], and [[rhetoric]]
* [[Terpsichore]] (the "[one who] delights in dance"): muse of [[Choir|choral]] song and dance
* [[Thalia (Muse)|Thalia]] (the "blossoming one"): muse of [[comedy]] and [[Pastoral|bucolic]] poetry
* [[Urania]] (the "celestial one"): muse of [[astronomy]]

No muse was identified with the visual arts of [[painting]] and [[sculpture]]. In ancient Greece, sculptors and painters were held in low regard, the work often performed by slaves and mostly regarded as mere manual labour.<ref>''In Our Time: The Artist'' [[BBC Radio 4]], TX 28 March 2002</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=The Dream, or Lucian's Career |last=Samosata |first=Lucian |work=Lucian |volume=3 |pages=215–233 |url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Dream,_or_Lucian%27s_Career |place=Cambridge, Massachusetts London |publisher=Harvard University Press, William Heinemann Ltd |publication-date=1921 |type=Free online English translation of The Dream, or Lucian's Career |language=English |id=Q51866088 |translator-last=Harmon |translator-first=Austin}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|text=Even if you should become a [[Pheidias]] or a [[Polykleitos]] and should create many marvellous works, everyone will praise your skill for sure, but '''none of your admirers''', if he had sense, '''would want to be like you'''; for whoever you might become, '''you would still be considered a laborer, a man who lives by his hands and has nothing but his hands.'''|author=[[Lucian of Samosata]]|title=The Dream, or Lucian's Career|source=Lucian, vol. III, page 223}}

The word ''art'' derives from the Latin "{{Lang|la|ars}}" (stem ''art-''), which, although literally defined means "skill method" or "technique", also conveys a connotation of beauty.

=== Europe [[Middle Ages]] (500 – 1500) ===
[[File:Leon Battista Alberti - Finitorium.jpg|right|thumb|Leon Battista Alberti - Finitorium from his book [[De pictura]] explaining how to think about the creation of a sculpture.]]

During the Middle Ages the word ''artist'' already existed in some countries such as Italy, but the meaning was something resembling ''craftsman'', while the word ''artisan'' was still unknown. An artist was someone able to do a work better than others, so the skilled excellency was underlined, rather than the activity field. In this period, some "artisanal" products (such as [[textiles]]) were much more precious and expensive than paintings or sculptures.

The first division into major and minor arts dates back at least to the works of [[Leon Battista Alberti]] (1404–1472): ''[[De re aedificatoria]], [[De statua]], [[De pictura]]'', which focused on the importance of the intellectual skills of the artist rather than the manual skills (even if in other forms of art there was a [[project]] behind).<ref>
P.Galloni, ''Il sacro artefice. Mitologie degli artigiani medievali'', Laterza, [[Bari]], 1998</ref>

=== Europe [[17th Century]] (1600-1700) ===
[[File:Judith with the Head of Holofernes (Genoa 17th century).jpg|right|thumb| Judith with the Head of Holofernes (Genoa 17th century). [[Genoese School]] style oil painting.]]

With the [[Academy|academies]] in [[Europe]] ([[1650|second half of 17th century]]) the gap between fine and applied arts was definitely set.

=== Modern Day ===

Many contemporary definitions of "artist" and "art" are highly contingent on culture, resisting aesthetic prescription; in the same way, the features constituting beauty and the beautiful cannot be standardized easily without moving into [[kitsch]].

== Artists' definitions ==
Some artists explain their beliefs about art or in being an artist. These beliefs may compel them to take actions outside of the act(s) of creating art but are still related to their work.

[[Doechii]] (Jaylah Ji'mya Hickmon) is an American singer, song writer, and rapper who won Best Female Artist in 2025 at the [[BET Awards]]. She stated her position as an artist requires [[civic]] responsibility while receiving this award. <ref>{{Citation |title=Doechii Takes Center Stage As Winner Of Best Female Hip Hop Artist! BET Awards '25 |last=Hickmon |first=Jaylah |date=9 June 2025 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-oNo1T23Rs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250612234529/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-oNo1T23Rs |archive-date=2025-06-12 |url-status=live |publisher=[[BET]] |language=en-us |format=MP4}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|text=I feel it's my responsibility as an artist to use this moment to speak up for all oppressed people. For Black people, for Latino people, for trans people, for the people in Gaza. We all deserve to live in hope and not in fear, and I hope we stand together, my brothers and my sisters, against hate, and we protest against it.|author=Jaylah Ji'mya Hickmon|title=Doechii Takes Center Stage As Winner Of Best Female Hip Hop Artist! | BET Awards '25|source=BET Awards '25 Ceremony}}

A single artist may create an [[art manifesto]] to explain their work while multiple may join or start [[art movements]] of ideologically aligned people to create a set of guidelines or rules to follow when making art.

One of them is the [[Manifesto of Futurism]], created by an Italian poet called [[Filippo Tommaso Marinetti]] in 1909. It lists 11 declarations of what Futurism means and then goes on to explain in further detail. He discussed the progress of [[automobiles]], [[Steamship|steamers]], and [[aeroplanes]] and how it created new beauty—speed. He believed literature would be absorbed, not overshadowed, by such progress. Literature and poetry would become an aggressive force against the world.<ref>{{Citation |title=DECLARATION OF FUTURISM |last=Marinetti |first=Filippo |work=Poesia |volume=5 |issue=6 |pages=1 |url=https://bluemountain.princeton.edu/bluemtn/?a=d&d=bmtnaai190904-01.2.3&e=-------en-20-bmtnaai-1--txt-txIN-Annunzio+------ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150405152951/https://bluemountain.princeton.edu/bluemtn/cgi-bin/imageserver.pl?oid=bmtnaai190904-01&getpdf=true |archive-date=2015-04-05 |url-status=live |publication-date=April 1909}}</ref>.

This manifesto partially inspired people to choose fascism in Italy. "From the 1920s to the 1940s he [Filippo Tommaso Marinetti] allied himself with the [[Fascist]] leader [[Benito Mussolini]]. Sharing a vision of a new Italy empowered by national and cultural supremacy, they relied on each other for inspiration and collaboration. Marinetti hoped that by supporting Fascism, Futurism would win the backing of the regime, become the official art of the state..."<ref>{{Citation |author=MoMA|author-link=Museum of Modern Art|title=Words in Freedom: Futurism at 100 |url=https://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2009/futurism/#top |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090412031957/https://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2009/futurism/#top |archive-date=2009-04-12 |url-status=live |type=Primary texts and images from the Words in Freedom exhibit at The Museum of Modern Art |others=Chiara Bernasconi, Sheelagh Bevan, Sara Bodinson, Allegra Burnette, Michelle Elligott, Emma Enderby, Scott Gerson, Julianna Goodman, Jodi Hauptman, Pablo Helguera, Milan Hughston, Charlie Kalinowski, Rebecca Roberts, Jennifer Tobias, and Wendy Woon. |language=en-us}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|text=9. We will glorify war — the only true hygiene of the world — [[militarism]], [[patriotism]], the destructive gesture of anarchist, the beautiful Ideas which kill, and the scorn of woman. 10. We will destroy museums, libraries and fight against [[moralism]], [[feminism]] and all [[utilitarian]] cowardice.|author=Filippo Tommaso Marinetti|title=DECLARATION OF FUTURISM|source=Poesia, Volume 5, Number 6, April 1909}}

== Education and Employment ==

=== India ===

==== 17th Century (1600-1700) ====
[[File:India, Mughal, 17th century - The dream of Zulaykha, from the Amber Album - 2013.332 - Cleveland Museum of Art.tif|thumb|India, Mughal, 17th century - The dream of Zulaykha, from the Amber Album at the Cleveland Museum of Art]]

In 1556 a new leader was given control of [[Delhi]] who would create a major shift in the design, construction, and aesthetics of Indian art—12 year old [[Akbar]]. He formed a royal manuscript [[atelier]] (modern-day term: [[artist collective]]) consisting of 30 painters and 70 assistants from Central Asia, India, and Persia. Their earliest works had them work in teams to create large pieces for public instead of private viewing. "Each illumination focuses on a single dramatic episode, which retains its primacy even if it is set among a host of subsidiary vignettes."<ref>{{Citation |title=Indian court painting, 16th-19th century |last=Kossak |first=Steven |pages=9–10 |url=https://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15324coll10/id/12335 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250327130813/https://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15324coll10/id/12335/ |archive-date=2025-03-27 |url-status=live |publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art |publication-date=1997 |type=Free online text of the history of Indian court painting styles, specifically the [[Rajput]] and the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]]. |access-date=2025-08-14 |chapter=Four Centuries of Indian Painting: The Advent Of The Mughals |chapter-url=https://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15324coll10/id/12200 |language=English |format=EPUB, PDF |isbn=0810965089 |oclc=1365873806 |via=[[Metropolitan Museum of Art|The MET]]}}</ref>

=== United States of America ===

==== Modern Day ====
[[File:Foley-Artist-Image.png|right|thumb|[[Foley (filmmaking)|Foley]] art is the process of creating sound effects with everyday objects and adding them to movies and television productions.]]

The [[Bureau of Labor Statistics|US Bureau of Labor Statistics]] classifies many visual artists as either ''craft artists'' or ''fine artists''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=22 July 2025 |title=Craft and Fine Artists |url=https://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/craft-and-fine-artists.htm |access-date=2025-07-22 |series=Occupational Outlook Handbook |publisher=U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |language=en-us |edition=2024}}</ref> A craft artist makes handmade functional works of art, such as [[pottery]] or [[clothing]]. A fine artist makes paintings, [[illustrations]] (such as [[book illustration]]s or [[medical illustration]]s), sculptures, or similar artistic works primarily for their aesthetic value.

The main source of skill for both craft artists and fine artists is long-term repetition and practice.<ref name=":0" /> Many fine artists have studied their art form at university, and some have a master's degree in fine arts. Artists may also study on their own or receive on-the-job training from an experienced artist.

The number of available jobs as an artist is increasing more slowly than in other fields.<ref name=":0" /> About half of [[United States|US]] artists are self-employed. Others work in a variety of industries. For example, a pottery manufacturer will employ craft artists, and book publishers will hire illustrators.

In the US, craft and fine artists have a median income of approximately US$56,260 per year.<ref name=":0" /> This compares to US$61,000 for all art-related fields, including related jobs such as [[graphic designer]]s, [[multimedia artist]]s, [[animator]]s, and [[fashion designers]].<ref name=":0" /> Many artists work [[Part-time job|part-time]] as artists and hold a second job.<ref name=":0" />

==See also==
{{portal|Arts}}
{{Div col|colwidth=25em}}

* [[Art history]]
* [[Arts by region]]
* [[Artist in Residence]]
* [[Humanities]]
* [[List of painters by name]]
* [[List of painters]]
* [[List of photographers]]
* [[List of composers]]
* [[List of sculptors]]
* [[Mathematics and art]]
* [[Starving artist]]
* [[Tattoo artist]]
* [[Tortured artist]]
{{colend}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Works cited===
* P.Galloni, Il sacro artefice. Mitologie degli artigiani medievali, Laterza, Bari, 1998
* C. T. Onions (1991). ''The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary''. Clarendon Press Oxford. {{ISBN|0-19-861126-9}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|collapsible=collapsed|Arts|voy=no}}
* {{In Our Time|The Artist|p00548cd|The_Artist}}
{{Art world |state=autocollapse}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Artists| ]]
[[Category:Art occupations]]
[[Category:Artisans]]
[[Category:Arts-related lists]]
[[Category:Concepts in aesthetics]]
[[Category:Humanities occupations]]

Artist - Revision history

AngelPlanetaryTruths: CREATION