When did you decide you were an artist?

[Navy Moose]

Hello Friends,

I've been reading "Mastering Landscape Photography" by Alain Briot. He has a chapter in the book called "Being an Artist".

For many years I did not consider myself an artist, I always thought of myself as a photographer. It is only in the past 18 months or so, did I begin to think of myself as an artist in addition to being a photographer.

Lately, I've been doing shots previously I would not normally go for. Reflections in water, reflections in chrome, reflections in glass, colonial era cooking utensils in a period bowl, and others. There are other examples of course, but reflections seems to the most prevalent in the past few months.

Many of my photographer friends are able to talk about various painters, photographers, and other artists. I have trouble talking about art, with the exception of St. Ansel, Henri Cartier Bresin, Eisenstadt, and others. My education is technical and unfortunately, art history was not an approved elective.

I have decided that in order to grow as an artist I need to learn more about painting and sculpture so I can not only appreciate these forms, which I already do, but to understand the art and what the artist is trying to say. I have picked up the Taschen 20th Century Photography book so I can at least look up the names of the photographers I hear about and see their work. I also have a general Art History textbook I picked up where I can look up painters and sculptors.

So, my question to my fellow photographers / artists. When did you decide that you were an artist?

Inquiring minds want to know

Sincerely,

Navy Moose

[Greg Lockrey]

When someone stole one of my pieces.

[Dave Parker]

After 25 years in the business, I never have considered myself an artist!

[paulr]

When I got a rejection letter for a grant I didn't remember applying for.

[Oren Grad]

I didn't.

[QT Luong]

I would consider myself an artist if art critics begin to write about me regularly, which will most likely not happen with the current type of photography that I (and Alain Briot) do. Until then, I am happy to be a photographer, even if the postcards speak of an "artist's reception".

[Maris Rusis]

Artist when? When I decided the photographs I make would reflect what was going on in my head and no one else's.

Good artist, successful artist, recognised artist when? Maybe I'm not there yet but I'm sticking with paragraph one. I can always console myself with the idea that honest failure is better than success gained through imposture, pretense, or deception.

[DuncanD]

When I chose to replace the work of others with my own on the walls of my house. My art is for my satisfaction and need not meet the criteria of anyone else. Certainly a lot (most) of what others consider art is of little or no value to me.

[jnantz]

when my work was presented alongside a dadaist's in a gallery in boston

[Daniel_Buck]

Someone told me a while back a funny way to look at photography: There is art in the composition, the rest is chemistry

I don't know, I've always kind of thought of myself as an artist, so I guess in terms of photography, from the time I became comfortable with taking photos with out having to think about it much. I guess I could consider that the period where I became an artist with a camera. Before that, it was just learning how to use the camera Don't have anything hanging in galleries, or anything sold accept to friends for not much more than it cost me to make, but I don't think that makes me any less of an artist, at least I don't see it that way

My work in visual effects everyday, I don't really consider art work. I don't make the decisions or direct any of it, I just do what I'm told. It takes alot of skill and knowledge, but it doesn't feel like art when you aren't in control of it.