Unlike other careers such as medicine, law, accounting, etc.,now, art is one of those careers in which it is possible to say “I woke up today and I knew, at last, that I am an artist!” No accreditation required here. No certification needed unless the artist wishes to teach art at the university level and in the public schools. The only thing necessary is the firm belief in oneself and, if possible, the sale of a painting or drawing or any other art product. Talent helps, too. Showing art on the web has changed the dynamics of the art world but a lot of things continue to be as they have always been.
The opportunity for anyone to show art on the Internet is vastly available, but that alone isn’t enough to further an artist’s career in the recognized art world. Anyone who knows how to upload their images can have the pleasure of becoming an artist and selling their products "on line." This is an enormously satisfying way of sharing your art work and earning some money, too. There are too many free galleries and art sites to name. I believe there are a lot of sales generated on these sites.
But, in addition to having an Internet career, an artist needs to have work “collected“ and accepted by art critics and art curators as well as dealers. In order for that to happen, an artist needs to put a lot of effort into following the steps needed to develop a career that consists of exhibiting art in real art galleries rather than virtual ones.
Is it enough to know in your heart that you are an artist?
Not in this real world. As in any profession it also takes knowledge, dedication, commitment, education, perseverance and a little bit of luck, maybe more than a little bit. Many artists, even if they are quite talented, will probably not be able to break into the real world of the art market.
This is made up of collectors who are interested in buying art as a commodity or dealers hoping to be involved in the creation of the next new artist. People who buy art because they love it and want it in their homes are not the ones who control the art world. They discover the art they may buy it from an art gallery but they don't influence the art market in the same way collectors do.
It's wonderful to know your own worth as an artist, but it helps if you can earn a living from your chosen career. When collectors decide your work is a marketable commodity like a precious metal, you can be sure you’ll be paid very well for the art you create. The irony is, this may not assure that other people will see your work because collectors often store their art while they wait for the market to go up. But the possibility still exists of having your work shown in museums and in corporate collections.
In order to become part of this art world an artist needs to become educated in the skills required to make art. There are specific ways of thinking about art that make up the consensus of the art world‘s opinion. And, in addition to becoming educated, the artist has to develop a network of influential people who will be interested in furthering the artist’s career. This doesn’t happen spontaneously. It takes some work.
As in many other fields, if often comes down to who you know rather than what you know and many artists may meet the first group of people that will be helpful in art school. It may be other students who will recommend them to dealers, or it may be teachers who wish to help further a student’s career. Or, it could be someone who has bought and appreciates the work and wishes to help the artist meet people who also might be interested.
At this point artists have to build up a consistent body of work. Students and beginners usually try many different forms before they find their own vision and expressive language. More mature artists have found a direction in which their work will develop and they usually continue to expand it in direction.
It is through this experimental dedicated research into the inner depths of the artist’s imagination that new ideas will develop and the art will take on a life that is vigorous enough to communicate something new that has never been seen before. This is the artist's signature and personal visual vocabulary that defines the style that is to become their opening into the real world of art. And, if this never happens, the Internet continues to beckon.
