Post #206046 by Tiki-bot on Fri, Jan 6, 2006 2:51 PM

"Artist" has really become a catch-all phrase in the visual arts business, and "Art" has about as many definitions as there are people on the planet. If by "art" you mean something that is thought up, created and sold, sure digital is "art" (but so is the Flo-Bee, by that definition). There are many digital artists who do limited number runs of prints and sell them. It's not much different than printmaking in that respect, except that there's no guarantee that the original will be destroyed completely as there is when a print plate is destroyed. Will digital (printed) artworks ever have the collectible and/or historical value that traditional paintings have? Not likely. But that's okay, since digital "artists" shouldn't be trying to emulate an old industry anyway. It's a different business, more along the lines of commercial illustration, and there's no reason to assume it should adopt the methods or practices of the of painting, sculpting or printmaking businesses.

Where it really differs is in the art buyer. Some buy artwork as an investment, some just because they enjoy the piece. "Art" is more about the idea than the method of communicating it. I've done animation, 3D modeling, 2D illustration (both digital & traditional), industrial design, set building, graphic design, & technical illustration. Am I an artist? I suppose yes, in the loosest sense of the word. I usually don't call myself that, though, because I think it has connotations for the layperson of beret-wearing, Galoise-smoking cafe intellectuals who can't find "real" jobs. "Artist" is not a job title that gets much respect in this country. Frankly, I'm surprised I ever got paid to do the work I do, which is an opinion I think I share with many artists and non-artists alike.