Responding to this post, about the value of acquiring an MFA, Seattle artist Steve Veatch observed that “there is no such thing as a self-taught artist, just as there is no such thing as the self-made man:”
Whether you go to art school or not, you will only learn by doing the work yourself and being guided by someone. “Self taught” artists can’t operate in a critical vacuum. And if you don’t go to art school, and you go to museums and galleries and turn to books and magazines for instruction and insight, you will have to ask what their academic connections are. “Self taught” is just a marketing device, as is “outsider”.
Steve. Of course there are self-taught and homemade artists, artists who never set foot inside an art museum or read an art magazine. Some didn’t go any kind of school, never mind art school, and they created all by themselves, without a community of like-minded others.
As an old man, (1) Bill Traylor started drawing on pieces of cardboard while he sat on the street. Born deaf and mute, (2) James Castle drew in spit and dirt in Idaho, using whatever paper or cardboard he could find. (3) James Hampton was a solitary janitor. After his death, his landlord happened upon his masterpiece.
Who taught them? A lot of artists in this vein say God did. I think art might be genetic to our species. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
(Click images to enlarge.)
I think it’s just an argument over semantics.
Is self taught.
A. No formal art schooling, lessons, or education? If so, lots of artists are self taught.
B. No contact with other art/artists from which to build upon? If so, probably only a handful of outsider artists fit this category.
C. Absolute zero influence by outside sources? Well of course no one meets this definition; no one lives in a complete vacuum.
Personally, I see self taught as exactly what it sounds like.. Teaching one’s self. Being self taught does not mean you may not be quite knowledgable about mediums, art history, criticism, etc. Some of the most talented and sophisticated artists in history are self taught and had no formal tutoring.
I’d like to add to James Brown’s good comment: it’s quite recent (in terms of centuries or half centuries) that working artists have been getting degrees in “making” art. The art school or studio/atelier by an individual or group is older. And women in the world of artists as well as more working class artists are both more common within the last century or a bit more. Germaine Greer made some good points. John Berger,too, as art critic:his books on Picasso,etc.
You mean Bill Traylor and the others you mention never saw other paintings or drawings by other artists which permeate society? And the art that they very, very likely did see was not informed by other artists, and on and on?
You’re right that there are more things, Horatioette, in heaven and earth than is dreamt of in our philosophy, including people who are indifferent to art and even disdainful of it. It’s genetic in their case too.
Whether having gone to art school or the product of a guild or atelier, art can’t be drawn from a vacuum, if you’ll pardon the pun. Now art schools, universities and museums are so established in the world physically and through the media that I find it implausible that any so called self taught artist is outside of their influence.
Art permeates society.
If these “self taught” artists lived in the United States, they saw magazines, advertisements, editorial cartoons, packaging, Sears Catalogs, logos, liquor bottle labels, typestyles, photography, coinage, consumer goods, and a million other things every day that were drawn or designed by artists and designers.
All of that stuff influences your style, whether you want to admit it or not.
There is more of an argument to be made that illiterate country folk in the 19th century could be more sheltered from other artist’s work, but somebody like James Hampton, who lived in Washington DC, walked by the work of some of the world’s foremost sculptors and architects every day. He also was in the South Pacific during WW2, and saw artwork there.
There is no way he was free of outside influences- which is not to put down his work, or its greatness. I specifically sought out the Throne of the Third Heaven many years ago, and find its presence quite grand, individual, and impressive. But it certainly doesnt exist in a vacuum.
As Isaac Newton said- we all stand on the shoulders of giants…
Help ! I have strong visions of the pictures/art I want to produce.- My painting skills need improving.
I have started a foundation in art and design which is a route to do a fine art degree. Do I really need to study on and on, if the ‘visions’ are where my ideas come from. (the time doing work for the course takes up valuable time)
I’m scared of going it alone in case I don’t ‘make it’ or the quality of my art suffers. What should I do ? I keep thinking how can I be the best artists I can be if I don’t do a degree
I believe that the term “self-validating art”may have more relevance than “self-taught art”. There are so many images ,and discussions around those images, being bounced around us today that it is a wonder that any individual (without the influence of an “authority” voice from the art world) continues in their efforts at all. There has to be a drive, a passion and a self belief (if only in the satisfaction that the act of creating gives) that imbues these creations with the aura of art.-You could call it the work of the divine or simply a part of our life force and I think it has more relevance to our humanity than much of our elitist cultural hierarchies
I absolutely agree with James Brown. I consider myself a self taught artist and this is simply because I don’t have any academic training in the subject as in a professional degree. Neither have I attended any classes. In that respect, I consider myself a self taught artist. Now, if one wants to argue about influences etc. well then who hasn’t had some form of influence no matter what the subject? We’ve all picked up things from somewhere, no?
I agree there are self taught artist I’m only 15 and I draw as good as the rest of the artist out there and never went to art school or visited a museum
i myself,am a self taught artist. i have a full time job and paint,sculpt play drums and have even applied for acting jobs on-line for local collage students in short films. painting is my stress relief. after having a yard sale a few summers ago, one customer commented on a painting i did that was hanging in my garage. he asked if it were for sale , it was not, however,he made me an offer i could not refuse. $250.00 cash. the next sale i had,i put a hung a few of my paintings out on the trees of my lawn and sold 4 out of 7 that were hanging and have repeat customers contacting me about other works i may have. it can be that simple to get recognized. i even use craigslist website to get my work out there. whatever you create can be considered artwork, no matter how crude or whether you know exactly what your doing or not, what you produce is unique to you. don’t try and paint like someone else. use your own techniques and experiment on your own and you will find that what comes out of you will be artwork to someone. i viewed a segment of 20/20 on tv one night and the investigator had hung a nicely framed finger painting his 4 year old did among works by accomplished well known artists. the people visiting that exhibit were facinated with the painting and asked about the artist. they were all shocked to find that a child did it in about 3 minutes while sitting at the dinner table. they were all caught off guard. that goes to show you, the most educated and wealthy buyers could not tell one from the other, they only have to like it. remember this, it’s not what you look at, it’s what you see. v.p.lanza