The Veterans, the Midcareer and the Neophytes
In every society, there exists psychological lines dividing different social class.
While such lines are sometimes created using material possession or wealth of an individual as a yard stick, others are based on one's level of achievement in a particular career.
On a broader note, such categories somehow, tend to define the general status of the people in a given society.
In the art world also, there are three categorical groupings under whichevery practicing artist fall in.
These groups are: The veterans, the midcareer, and the Neophytes.
Artists within these groups can be identified either in terms of their artistic achievements in the filed of art or the career value that defines the worth of an individual artist at a given time or place.
The Veterans, for example, are those artists who their high number of years in the practice of art have made them indisputable icons to be reckoned with, especially when it comes to making reference to issues in visual art.
Their presence in any art gathering gives the event an unusual weight.
Their artistic achievements are highly rated and their contributions to the society are evident in a number of ways.
They are renowned at local and international levels with their works well cherished and highly priced.
Most of them have established art facilities or structures, either for training younger artists or for promoting the practice of art in their respective societies.
The Midcareer group is composed of artists who are well to do but are yet to boast of any major land mark achievement in their practicing career.
Majority of artists in this group do combine art practice with other things like lecturing and business.
Although they normally organize periodical exhibitions, either on solo or group basis, and often make a number of sales, their income is mostly enhanced by invitations to participate in local and international art events of considerable financial benefits to their practice.
Their works are usually not highly priced (compare to those of veteran artists), yet they sell faster than the veterans.
Most artists in this category have moderately equipped studios of considerable standard and often have a few apprentices or students adhere to their philosophy of art, working under them.
On the other hand, the neophytes are those artists who have not been fully established in the practice.
They are mostly graduate-artists who have just started their career in art.
They are full of life and do create different kinds/sizes of works with various prices to keep body and soul together.
Artists within this group are restless and could move about to look for art contracts or commissions within and outside their environment.
In exhibitions involving them (the neophytes) and the veterans or midcareer, the neophytes will observe the prices of the other groups before fixing theirs.
It is note worthy to mention here that, what seem to create these groups sometimes, should not be mistaken in term of the technical proficiency of the individual artists, which has to do with either the right or wrong application of the elements and principles of design; rather, it is, probably, based on the human view of creating order or class in a given system to accord respect and honor to individual practitioners within a certain field.
In this way, it is safe to conclude that the work of a veteran artists may not be aesthetically better than the works of either the midcareer artist or the neophyte, yet it may be decorated with high price tag in an exhibition ground as against the works of midcareer and neophytes.
It is more or less like an established order that is largely created for hierarchical purposes within a given frame of practice.
While such lines are sometimes created using material possession or wealth of an individual as a yard stick, others are based on one's level of achievement in a particular career.
On a broader note, such categories somehow, tend to define the general status of the people in a given society.
In the art world also, there are three categorical groupings under whichevery practicing artist fall in.
These groups are: The veterans, the midcareer, and the Neophytes.
Artists within these groups can be identified either in terms of their artistic achievements in the filed of art or the career value that defines the worth of an individual artist at a given time or place.
The Veterans, for example, are those artists who their high number of years in the practice of art have made them indisputable icons to be reckoned with, especially when it comes to making reference to issues in visual art.
Their presence in any art gathering gives the event an unusual weight.
Their artistic achievements are highly rated and their contributions to the society are evident in a number of ways.
They are renowned at local and international levels with their works well cherished and highly priced.
Most of them have established art facilities or structures, either for training younger artists or for promoting the practice of art in their respective societies.
The Midcareer group is composed of artists who are well to do but are yet to boast of any major land mark achievement in their practicing career.
Majority of artists in this group do combine art practice with other things like lecturing and business.
Although they normally organize periodical exhibitions, either on solo or group basis, and often make a number of sales, their income is mostly enhanced by invitations to participate in local and international art events of considerable financial benefits to their practice.
Their works are usually not highly priced (compare to those of veteran artists), yet they sell faster than the veterans.
Most artists in this category have moderately equipped studios of considerable standard and often have a few apprentices or students adhere to their philosophy of art, working under them.
On the other hand, the neophytes are those artists who have not been fully established in the practice.
They are mostly graduate-artists who have just started their career in art.
They are full of life and do create different kinds/sizes of works with various prices to keep body and soul together.
Artists within this group are restless and could move about to look for art contracts or commissions within and outside their environment.
In exhibitions involving them (the neophytes) and the veterans or midcareer, the neophytes will observe the prices of the other groups before fixing theirs.
It is note worthy to mention here that, what seem to create these groups sometimes, should not be mistaken in term of the technical proficiency of the individual artists, which has to do with either the right or wrong application of the elements and principles of design; rather, it is, probably, based on the human view of creating order or class in a given system to accord respect and honor to individual practitioners within a certain field.
In this way, it is safe to conclude that the work of a veteran artists may not be aesthetically better than the works of either the midcareer artist or the neophyte, yet it may be decorated with high price tag in an exhibition ground as against the works of midcareer and neophytes.
It is more or less like an established order that is largely created for hierarchical purposes within a given frame of practice.
