Is Designer an Artist?
Designer and Artist is different art field. Although both of the field create art for the audience, but both of them have different purpose of what interpreting art. Some people might say that a designer is an artist and some might not. Though in our view, they hold different purposed, designer and artist is still in the same field of study. However, what does exactly make designer is not an artist?
First, artist create art for people to interpret their art in their own way. People can interpret the art based on their own perspective. As in the “Scream” by Edvard Munch might be interpreted differently by the people. Some might say it is agony in the picture, he wants to express his agony toward the life. Some will say It is merely a sadness with madness in that picture, illusion created toward your mind. Artist creates art for people to guess what is the message in it. While designer create art is to deliver the message, to be understood by all the people without different meaning. Designer creates art with the same meaning and should be understood by the audience in the exact same meaning, so their message is not having different meaning. It other word, good design delivers the same meaning.
Second, Artist is a talent and Designer is a skill. Though some designer can be born talented too, but most of the knowledge of a design is taught and learned. Not like Artist who creates art based on anything they want, designer need concept and goal for their art. Artist might draw or paint something abstractly, they don’t need any deep concept. Their art is merely an expression of their feeling and people will eventually adore and accept the art as it is. However, Designer needs a concept and strong background why they create this art. They have to convey a meaning to their work and people have to understand it exactly as the designer wants. So they need skills of how they should make it. They need to learn it and practice it. Hence, an Artist is always born talented, but Designer is not born talented, they learned to be skillful and hard work creates the Designers.
Third, a designer work serves a purpose. Although designer makes money from their works, their works serve purposed to be there. For instance, the designer might sell a chair for living, but the chair has a purpose. It is for sitting and for decoration. While some artist make money from their painting, but their first purpose is to express themselves. Many artists work began famous after their death. Thus make it more valuable. However, the designer works serve purposed during their life.
Fourth, the design work is not a final. Designer tend to have consultation with other designer or their client. Thus, they have several steps before finalize their works. It can be said that their work need revision in order to create a good final work. In contradiction, Artists’ works are the final product when it finish. We cannot ask the artist to revise their work. We cannot. Their work is their self expression and if we trying to change it, we change the artist.
In conclusion, we are viewing a designer is not an artist. But in some way, a designer can be called artist if they expressing their self in their work. It is not wrong to express what we feel on our work. Although it will make the product feel different and cannot deliver the message properly. A designer is different from artist and so do artist is not the same as designer. They have different purposed to create the art. And art can be found in many different entity, not only from artist and designer.
Bibliography
O’Nolan, J. (2009, September 21). The Difference Between Art and Design. Retrieved September 28, 2016, from webdesignerdepot: http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/09/the-difference-between-art-and-design/
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