”Skill without imagination is craftsmanship and gives us many useful objects such as wickerwork picnic baskets. Imagination without skill gives us modern art.” — Tom Stoppard, author
An audience for any artist is a critical part, possibly by definition, of the existence of the art that is created. Music would exist if no one were to hear it, but for what purpose? Delicacies that are not eaten would still sit pretty on a plate, but to what end? A painting is still a painting if it’s never seen, but can it be art if it is not?
So while the critic is important to the overall art equation, let us not deceive ourselves in the false equality that appreciating art equals the talent of being an artist. As obnoxious as it is to hear a guy who can sculpt a perfect replica of the human form into granite speak of himself in the third person, his ego can be defended by a simple point in the direction of said perfect piece of art. What is NOT defendable is being able to list every band you saw for $10 a decade before they sold out Giants Stadium. Pat yourself on the back for tapping into a sound before it becomes popular, but don’t mistake that you have as much talent as the pre-teen buying Jonas Brother’s posters. Having the palette and vocabulary to explain why you feel umami is a distinct sense of taste does show an appreciation of gastronomy, but it does not an artist make. There’s enough douchebaggery among the artist community to last us for quite some time. Let’s leave it there, shall we?
