Fame

To be an undergraduate student in Studio Art is scary, my Prof. Rob Neilson offers a class at Lawrence known as Senior Art Seminar, required now for all Art Majors, the class teaches you how to put together a C.V., take digital photographs of your work, write an artist statement, and promotes an environment to get Studio Art majors talking about life in the art world after graduation. It includes a variety of topics from Graduate School, Beauty in Art, Post-Modernism and Post-Post-Modernism (which still hurts my head). The one that resonated with me the most was our topic of Fame, it seemed like only three of us in the class wanted to famous for art. Silly me, I thought that's what everyone wanted.

Well here are some ruminations of the idea of fame and art.

Most people's idea of fame can be mistaken for infamy. To be famous, you have to bust your ass and make decisions that would launch your career into a lasting one. Notariety for the person you are and the work you do are completely different. Being famous is not easily achievable, as the media would have you believe. Talent, social understanding, and credibility are all necessary and are to be developed. Actions you take will speak for you. To pursue fame haphazardly without considering your actions makes you replaceable and a recycled idea. You are not entitled to anything as an undergraduate so you have to take advantage of what is available to you.