Is It Art or Not?

The Debate Continues…

Artists or copyists? Is it art or not? Over the years, I’ve heard experts say that what I (and others like me) do, is not art. We are not artists, merely copyists. Damn good ones, but copyists nonetheless. It doesn’t matter that I can capture the essence of the animal whisker for whisker, or put more emotion and soul into the eyes than what is seen in the original photo reference. To these experts, it is still merely a copy, a rendering. Their reasoning is that there is no true creative thought process involved. In other words, I am only transferring an image. I do not have to consider elements such as light, shadow, contrast, proportion, perspective, etc. because they are already there before me. I just have to copy it. Even the changes that I do take liberty in taking, no matter how subtle or great, does not change their stand on it being “only a copy”.

Progress shots of Hache, commissioned by M. Reyes.

I’ll admit that it upsets me to hear things like this. It’s also upsetting to hear them devalue comic book artists, graffiti artists, graphic artists, and other artists who do not fall within the realm of classic, traditional art. Whatever happened to creating art for art’s sake? Whatever happened to creating for the pure and simple joy of it? Are the only works deemed worthy of being called “art” the ones that fit the qualifications of being displayed at the Louvre, Guggenheim, or the Getty?

I simply cannot get behind this point of view. Not just because it is my work that I am defending, but what of the people that value my work? They are the ones that give me the photographs to work from. Why come to me if they already have the photograph? Isn’t it because they want something hand drawn, something that isn’t a photograph? Something that the world at large considers to be a work of art? They want something that took time and care and meticulous attention to detail. Something that I put my heart and soul into creating. Doesn’t the act of creating, make it art in and of itself? The look on people’s faces when they see the completed work for the first time is priceless to me and tells me that it is something of value. Is it art or not? My clients seem to think that it is. And that’s all that matters to me.

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