The Reputation
There's one aspect of the art community that's sorely lacking from other industries, and it's the reputation of the master.
Was walking down the street with a friend of mine the other day, and he said, "Over here, behind this building, there's a painting on the wall. I'm pretty sure it's a Banksy."
You hear this in art museums all the time. People refer to the work of an artist as a singular piece of them. ("A Picasso." "A Rembrandt.") It's the mark of an accomplished artist with a distinctive style that's instantly recognizable.
You don't hear people say that sort of thing about video games. Or craft jewelry being sold on Etsy. Or children's toys. Consumer goods are typically branded by a company name instead of the name of the individual.
Since we live in an era when anyone can own the means of production (all you need is a laptop), it makes a lot of sense to strive to make your own work referred to as "a [your name]".
Was walking down the street with a friend of mine the other day, and he said, "Over here, behind this building, there's a painting on the wall. I'm pretty sure it's a Banksy."
You hear this in art museums all the time. People refer to the work of an artist as a singular piece of them. ("A Picasso." "A Rembrandt.") It's the mark of an accomplished artist with a distinctive style that's instantly recognizable.
You don't hear people say that sort of thing about video games. Or craft jewelry being sold on Etsy. Or children's toys. Consumer goods are typically branded by a company name instead of the name of the individual.
Since we live in an era when anyone can own the means of production (all you need is a laptop), it makes a lot of sense to strive to make your own work referred to as "a [your name]".