Selling out ...
 

I can

I suppose that we are all sell-outs to the extent that Michelangelo and Rembrandt were. The Catholic Church commissioned the Sistine Chapel ceiling and I'm sure they had something to say about how it would look. And, of course, Rembrandt made his living as a portrait artist. Not bad company, I'd say.

Webster's Collegiate Dictionary

sell out
1. to get rid of completely by selling.

"My Opening at the ___ Gallery was a sell out."

Now there is a positive connotation!

2. to give up one's artistic aspirations or moral principals so as to achieve success, financial gain, etc.

If an artist takes a commission that is not in keeping with their personal aspirations, (perhaps because they need the money to keep going or to get some exposure) that does not mean they are 'giving up' their principals.
Giving up would be if they never painted their own vision.

Selling out = giving up.

So you have two artists, one who paints full time and occasionally takes jobs that he is not happy about, but hey, life costs money. Most of the time he is very proud of the work accomplished. Then there is the artist who paints after he finishes his job as an accountant. He has to be an accountant to pay the bills because he only wants to paint what he wants, his vision. He knows he could make a living as an artist if he would paint the occasional pet portrait, but he will not because he thinks pet portraits are beneath him. Has either of these artists sold out?

Caravaggio
 

These are four paintings by Caravaggio, commissioned pieces he had to paint again because the churches weren't satisfied by the first results.

I think the first version of the 'Conversion of Paul' wasn't as brilliant as the second. I
don't know exactly why they didn't want it, but I'm glad Caravaggio had to paint another one. The second painting is, in my view, a greater work of art. To me, for some reason the second one is 'more Caravaggio' than the first one.

In the second example I think the church wasn't too happy with the dirty feet Caravaggio painted. I like the composition of the first one better than the replacement.

I'm reluctant to end this post with a conclusion, I just felt I wanted to show these examples in this thread.

Peter

Personally, I think that anyone who would attribute the term "artistic sell out" to someone else has more than a little pomposity going on.

I have moved my studio to a gallery almost exclusively made up of household furnishing and antique type stuff. I paint my portraits as the shoppers pass by. When I envision myself as a highly successful portrait artist I don't include this scene. But, one does what one must do.

I hear and read things about the "compromised artistic vision" or, the selling of your talent to match the den sofa. I think these comments are made mostly by those who have the benefit of hanging around the perimeter of life.

The term sell-out is normally a term assigned to artists that make money by artists that wash cars or flip burgers in order to be FREE to create art no one wants.

Well said, Tim!

I ditto that Tim.

Maybe you're right Tim, but maybe some great artist HAS flipped burgers to create something wonderful NO ONE wanted at the time of making.

The seven circles of sell out
 

A sell out? Sure! But I'd place us in maybe only the 5th circle of art heck:

7th - Toiling in obscurity, eating dustbunnies with the lights off, but dreaming of selling something someday

6th - Following an unerring artistic vision that just *happens* to correspond to the interests of the monied

5th - Following an unerring artistic vision, and/also creating honest depictions of one's patrons that just *happen* to be well-liked

4th - Creating portraiture with the ears a tad smaller, the eyes a tad bluer, the hair evenly dispersed, the mouth cupid-like, the breasts perky, the gut svelte

3rd - Creating portraits on one's own time, and redesigning websites with backgrounds you paint by hand to pay the rent

2nd - Rehashing Old Master images for Christmas cards that pay $150 for all rights in perpetuity

1st - Whoever painted that Santa Claus for Coca Cola

That man was Haddon Sundblom. Look at the work some of the best living portrait artist of today. Then look again at the Santas of Haddon Sundblom. No one comes near that technical ability.

More information about haddon Sundblom:
http://www.kidzworld.com/site/p1557.htm
http://www2.coca-cola.com/ourcompany...ore_santa.html

I like those Santas. Although he looks drunk most of the time.

Peter