The Myth of the Artist’s Life
In the context of a Taoist philosophical text from the late fourth century B.C., an anecdote emerges recounting the actions of a Chinese lord who summons artists for a commissioned task. Implicit in the phrase “the artist’s life” is the notion of a distinct and separate existence. As the cultural critic Arne de Boever contends in his work “Against Aesthetic Exceptionalism” (2019), the manner in which we venerate art invests the artist with a sovereignty akin to that of a monarch or even a deity, seemingly exempt from the constraints that regulate the ordinary populace.
The Idealised Artist: Sovereign and Rebellious
This construct perpetuates the image of the artist as a collective ideal, a conceptual rebel operating on society’s periphery, valiantly impervious to societal norms and the exigencies of capitalism. In this narrative, the artist is liberated from conventional, soul-numbing labor, operating without the need for adherence to schedules, hierarchical oversight, or the imperative to please anyone beyond themselves.
The Artist’s Practical Realities: Sustenance and Struggles
Nonetheless, this idealised perception confronts the practical reality that artists, like all individuals, require sustenance. This necessitates the acquisition of patrons, government grants, trust funds, or participation within the established system by securing a conventional occupation, often referred to as a “real” job, as colloquially expressed by concerned parents.
Artists and the Strain of Wage Labor
Paradoxically, while wage labor is accepted as the fate of the average individual, a prevailing sentiment persists that it imposes a distinctive strain on artists, and by extension, represents a societal loss. This perception is rooted in the belief that such labor deprives artists of time for more noble pursuits. Suspicion often lingers regarding those endowed with trust funds, perceiving them as having it too easy, lacking the requisite suffering supposedly inherent to artistic creation.
The Artist’s Commitment and Dedication
Instead, the highest reverence is reserved for artists who embrace the toil of ordinary existence, enabling the pursuit of a parallel life—the artist’s life. This labor takes on the character of an origin story, serving as an example to an exceptional capacity to sustain mental acuity and preserve one’s soul amid the monotony of mundane tasks. Contemporary narratives extol figures such as the German filmmaker Werner Herzog, who engaged in nocturnal welding, or the American novelist Octavia Butler, who diligently monitored quality control at a potato chip factory. These stories captivate us, as they defy convention by showcasing accomplished artists who partake in the ordinary to facilitate the extraordinary.
The Artist’s Role Beyond Creation
Even artists fortunate enough to devote themselves wholly to their craft find themselves engaged in budgeting, resource allocation, and at times, team management to realise their creative visions. This administrative aspect of their work challenges the notion of an artist solely as a creator.
The Misconception of Artistic Genius
The conventional concept of artistic genius as a series of sporadic, unearned flashes of brilliance within otherwise indolent and extravagant lives disregards the hours of rigorous training, repetition, and dedication inherent in the creative process. The adage, “If I don’t practice for one day, I know it; two days, the critics know it; three days, the world knows it,” attributed to musicians ranging from jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong to the pianist Ignace Jan Paderewski, underscores the relentless commitment artists undertake.
The Historical Evolution of Artists
In contemplating the artist’s life, it becomes evident that there may be no singular archetype, no insurgent or dissolute ideal. In a world increasingly attuned to enhancing productivity and maximising efficiency, there simply exists a life that accommodates art—an existence that carves out space for artistic expression, regardless of the time required.
From Labourers to Icons
In stark contrast to contemporary perceptions, artists of yore were primarily recognised as labourers who crafted with their hands. The term “art” did not originally connote an elevated, separate sphere divorced from the mundanity of daily existence. It finds its roots in the Latin “ars,” translated from the Greek “techne,” signifying skill—skill applied not only in creating objects but also in commanding armies, measuring fields, and captivating audiences.
Shifting Perceptions of Artists
Throughout history, many domains that we now regard as fine arts were deemed common or mechanical, labeled as “vulgares” by ancient Romans and considered “mechanical” in the Middle Ages. Even during the Renaissance, while painting ascended to the realm of liberal arts, there persisted a debate regarding the nature of artistic labor. Leonardo da Vinci dismissed sculpture as mere mimicry, while Michelangelo staunchly disagreed.
The Economic Context of Artists
The evolving status of artists as subjects of interest coincided with a burgeoning mercantile class, which sought to assert its ascendancy through the commissioning of portraits and the acquisition of art. This transition also prompted shifts in perceptions of artists, as expressed by the 16th-century Italian painter Giovanni Battista Armenini, who critiqued the prevailing image of artists as licentious and capricious beings, while also condemning those artists who perpetuated this caricature by affectation.
The Romanticization of Poverty
The transformation in the perception of artists occurred concurrently with economic fluctuations in Europe, turning art into an appealing alternative investment. To confer prestige upon art, its creators had to be distinguished from common laborers. Paradoxically, poverty and torment became romanticised as essential to artistic creation. For instance, the early 20th-century Spaniard Pablo Picasso, still unrecognised, resided in squalor and resorted to burning his drawings for warmth, an evidence to the belief that artists thrived on adversity.
Artists Engaging with the World
As explored by Han in his work, “The Art of the Essay” (2019), artists engage with the world, lending a reverent focus to everyday phenomena and recounting their stories. The lives of the artists profiled herein—some of whom may not explicitly consider themselves as such—unfold, fluctuate, and at times, stall. These narratives diverge from the conventional notion of a structured workday, delineating a distinction not between work and life, but between the act of creating art (which may transpire anywhere, at any moment) and the livelihood that supports it.
The Unconventional Nature of Artistic Work
In this paradigm, work itself becomes disentangled from traditional temporal and spatial constraints. Conceptual artist Rirkrit Tiravanija, for instance, forgoes a studio and instead describes each day, each life, as a continuous act of creation—an eternal endeavor with no formal conclusion, yet also not entirely discernible.
The Intensive Process of Creation
The 19th-century French writer Gustave Flaubert once dedicated five days, labouring for twelve hours daily, to compose a single page. The process, as many artists would attest, involves the meticulous crafting of each word, each stroke, requiring significant time for experimentation and correction.
Nevertheless, this concept of work stands in stark contrast to prevailing contemporary ideologies, which dictate that one’s identity is intricately linked with their profession and that life should unfold as a linear progression from birth to education to the workplace, culminating ultimately in one’s final resting place. This shift from valuing the sacred seriousness of play to the profane seriousness of work and production, as articulated by Han in “The Disappearance of Rituals: A Topology of the Present” (2020), underscores the art’s inherently unproductive nature, even anti-productive.
Art as a Form of Insurrection
In this light, art emerges as a form of insurrection against established conventions. As Jean Baudrillard posited, the poetic represents language’s rebellion against its own constraints. Likewise, various artistic disciplines contravene pragmatic, optimal, or empirically established outcomes. Art does not merely challenge, but refutes the notion that productivity must be an inherent objective. It asserts the importance of creation for its own sake.
The Dichotomies of Art
It is not the artist’s life that embodies excess, but rather art itself, with its myriad expressions and dichotomies. Art embraces both abundance and austerity, fervently insisting on the urgency of a particular configuration or the absence of colours, shapes, textures, gestures, sounds, or words. These elements may either overflow with meaning or remain starkly devoid of it, addressing the pressing issues of the day or serving as an ode to beauty or presence.
Art as the Striving Player
As Thi Nguyen elucidates in “Games and the Art of Agency” (2019), two distinct categories of players exist within any given game: the achievement player, driven by the desire to win, and the striving player, motivated by the struggle itself. Art embodies the latter, championing creation and struggle as an end in themselves.
Artists as Pioneers of New Perspectives
The artist’s pursuit is not defined by the accumulation of possessions, virtual victories, or the race toward a figurative jackpot. Rather, it centres on immersion in the creative process, exploration of the far reaches of their chosen medium, and the stretching of time itself. Artists often seek to uncover novel ways of navigating this world, challenging its rules, and in doing so, offering the prospect of liberation for all.
Conclusion: The Profound and Enduring Artist’s Life
In conclusion, the concept of the artist’s life, as depicted in various historical and contemporary contexts, reveals a traditionof narratives and perceptions. These narratives transcend the conventional dichotomy between work and life, underscoring the interplay between artistic creation and the sustenance that facilitates it. The artist’s journey, often characterized by dedication, sacrifice, and a unique perspective on the world, challenges prevailing notions of productivity and work.
Art itself emerges as a potent force, an insurrection against the pragmatic, a celebration of the aesthetic, and a celebration of the human capacity for creativity and expression. In a world increasingly fixated on productivity, artists stand as exemplars of a life that not only allows for art but also champions it as a profound and enduring endeavour—one that transcends temporal boundaries and societal norms to evoke the beauty, complexity, and meaning inherent in the human experience.
Feature Image: Artist makes self portrait as he paints himself for the fourth time, netizens cheer him on. Courtesy:(r/pics Reddit)
Mishan, Ligaya. (2022).What Does It Really Mean to Make Art? URL (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/21/t-magazine/work-life-balaArtist makes self portrait as he paints himself for the fourth time, netizens cheer him onnce-art.html).
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