I am bored with artists who are using Urban Outfitters as their jumping-off point. So many are milking the untrained, spontaneous, and “naive-chic” trend as an excuse to label themselves an artist despite lacking any inherent vision. It has become super important to look the part of an artist while the work caliber is secondary.
Unfortunately, the commercial world and media flow right into this shitstream, and the entire bar gets lowered. In my mind, the definition of being an artist means staying a step ahead and trying to open doors to new views on the world, or maybe even expressing your deepest personal self, but I don’t see much of that anymore. I try to flip this upside down and say maybe this is all about us heading toward oneness, losing the desire to illustrate one’s individual thoughts about this life. Maybe this is a step toward an enlightened and less selfish existence. Now that’s art!
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