Is it better to be an Artist or an Art Historian

I, personally, find more value in studying other people's art than in creating my own. I do both, but I find studying art more fulfilling.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Art
• History
• Nihilism
• Camus

[grendelrob244]

When it comes to literary artists, a lot of the great novelists, play-writes and poets were also literary scholars or literary critics. In particular William Godwin and George Bernard Shaw come to mind here.

Of course then there were writers like Theodore Dreiser, who were just exceptional at taking the gritty reality of life and making it artistic.

Aside from Albert Camus (right?) what novelists do you like?

[annaomeara]

@grendelrob244 I guess that can be true in "the art world" as well, e.g. neo-classicists and the pre-raphealites had to have some understanding of art history.

I hate to admit it because it's apparently a hipster fad, but I really like Kafka. A recent favorite is Yukio Mishima. I also really like Juan Rulfo and I haven't read nearly enough of his stuff. Do you like any of them? :)

[Paumonsu]

none of them. Science rules

[MegaAtheistman]

Makes sense. Your piece behind you?

[grendelrob244]

@annaomeara Well, I like Kafka's Metamorphesis. One of these days I'd like to get into more of his stuff.

I just looked up the other two, and they sound interresting. I'd like to read a little more of the 20th century stuff and non-european, non-American works. I tend to get into a bit of a 18th-19th (and very early 20th) century Brittish rut. Also I've always been a bit enamoured with the Romantic period Americans like Hawthorne.

[Indy4fan]

I have the same view when it comes to movies. I prefer film studies (history, criticism, etc.) over filmmaking, yet I do both.

[WyattKaldenberg]

First, which one can you make a living off of? That one is your career, and the other one is your hobby. Hate to boil it down to money, but paying the bills comes first.

[popecoyote1st]

Good to see you again and hear what you are thinking. Personally, I am not an artist. I have some skills in drawing and writing but I don't feel compelled to do it, which I think a true artist does. But I find the works that people do much more interesting in themselves than the interpretations others have of them. I find art history interesting if it is a factual history and not an interpretative history that tells you what you should think about it. Better to create or appreciate.

[T800System]

personally I'm more into art itself than art history - sure its nice to study and appreciate the work by other people which is of course fundamental to being a good artist but art by definition is an expression of oneself - it's about exploring and celebrating your own creativity and ingenuity, not exclusively someone elses.

I guess both subjects walk hand in hand with each other it all comes down to personal preference.

[ooolikujy]

"If the demand to be original still troubles you, remember this: each of us is our own country, an interesting place to visit." julia cameron