An artist is somebody involved in an artistic activity, practicing the creative arts or presenting an artistic work. The common use in academic speak and everyday language refers to an artistic practitioner in the visual arts alone. More often than not, though, we use the term “art” to refer to visual artistic expression – what we see is usually referred to as art – and not to involve the creative process as such. We have come a long way since the Renaissance. So, what is art actually?
The arts are all the modes of expression used by human beings in combination with the senses and the imagination to produce knowledge and beauty. Artistic activity can be defined by the presence of inherent artistic quality or by its ability to stimulate the faculties of the senses, whether these are sight hearing, touch, smell, or even “mental awareness.” In order to understand the concepts that underlie the definition of the term “arts,” it is useful to first gain a clear understanding of how the different parts relate to each other. Each of the major art forms, such as painting, sculpture, printmaking, literature, dance, sound, and architecture, can be regarded as an attempt to create beauty out of the ordinary things around us.
However, there is more to fine art than just being a form of visual art. To be a great artist, an artist needs to have a “muse” – this is a term referring to his or her central subject and can take the form of anything from nature (like a poet or painter) to literature or science. The most famous artist of all time was Leonardo da Vinci, and many believe he is the most genius artist ever created. DaVinci’s greatest works include Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, which are arguably the greatest paintings ever made.
Many people think of artists as only being involved in one or two fields, but this is not true. As mentioned above, there are many different areas of fine arts. For instance, printmaking and sculpture both involve the use of paper, while painting and photography both involve the artist’s use of paint. Although the majority of artists only focus on one or two fields, others do so well in multiple fields. For example, multimedia artists such as the painter Rainer Olskop and the painter Wim Freeland are known for their work within the field of video art.
An artist’s life typically begins with their education, although this doesn’t have to begin in a formal institution. Many artists get their start through informal learning, by taking classes or performing workshops in their community. This helps them learn to communicate effectively, because they are drawing what they are thinking and then trying to put it into words. Others get their start by participating in a work of the art called “discovery”; this kind of work unites an artist with a community that helps them to exchange information about their work. This allows the artist to become more knowledgeable about the visual arts. In this way, they can then start to express themselves creatively using their talent.
Most artists create their own personalized work of art that illustrates their personality. However, many fine artists also have work that is highly comparable to other works from other artists. This can help them build a name for themselves in their given field. Indeed, many visual arts museums often display works by a wide array of artists, allowing visitors to see what an artist has done before.
