Artist
|
|
Artist is a subjective term which describes a person creative in, innovative in, or adept at, their endeavors.
Most often, the term describes those who create in a cultural context, such as engaging in drawing, sculpting, acting, dancing, writing, filmmaking and music — people who use imagination, and talent or skill, to create works of aesthetic value. Art historians and art critics define artists as those who produce art within a recognised provenance.
Many people use the term to denote highly skilled people in non-"arts" activities, as well — crafts, medicine, alchemy, mechanics, mathematics, defense (martial arts) and architecture, for example. The designation often applies to people skilled at nefarious or questionable activities, too — like "scam artist" or "bullshit artist."
Billions of books, articles, essays and theses are written, academic courses created, and café discussions held in an effort to define "art" and "artist", and yet, there is no consensus amongst humans about what constitutes "art" or who is, or is not, an "artist".
Most often, the discussions focus on the differences between "artist" and "technician" or "artisan," "fine art" and "applied art," or what constitutes art and what does not.
Western culture widely accepts that anyone can call themselves an "artist", however posterity ultimately decides whether the label fits.
The Oxford English dictionary, cites broad meanings of the term "artist,"
- A learned person or Master of Arts.
- One who pursues a practical science, traditionally medicine, astrology, alchemy, chemistry.
- A follower of a pursuit in which skill comes by study or practice - the opposite of a theorist.
- a follower of a manual art, such as a mechanic.
- one who makes their craft a fine art.
- one who cultivates one of the fine arts - traditionally the arts presided over by the muses.
(referenced from: Template:Book reference)
In Greek the word "techně" means "art." In Latin, derived from the Greek word, "art" is "tecnicus", from which the English words technique, technology, technical are derived. So, though the words have evolved over millenia, their root is the same.
Template:Wikiquotecy:Arlunydd de:Künstler eo:Artisto fi:Taiteilija fr:Artiste lt:Artistai mi:Kaitito nl:Artiest ja:美術家 sv:Konstnär uk:Художник zh:艺术家