Is Graphic Design Art?
While reading a couple of articles (definitely check it out) The Observer Read some of the comments. If you are a graphic designer, creative person, they will probably offend you.
Then I read this old AIGA Archived Article about Illustration: Graphic Design's Poor Relation. Oh and definitely read the comments on that article through the years.
So here's my thought of the day. IS GRAPHIC DESIGN ART? This is a question that's been argued for so long since the days I was in college.
Years ago, a friend of mine, who is no longer friends with me cause because I was "honest" in a critiqu of her portfolio said to me, "Chris, I don't think I can do graphic design cause I don't want to sell out." I mean seriously... "SELL OUT??!!" It's funny cause her years of unsuccessfully hunting down for an Illustrator position led her to pursue a career in graphic design. I think she realized the life of a "starving artist" does not pay the bills. Anyway, I hope it's made he think differently about design.
But this thought of graphic designers not being considered "artists" has always puzzled me. I look at some old paintings by Toulouse Lautrec and I can say he has some "graphic design" elements incorporated into his work. Even artists like AM Cassandre and (shoot) i'm forgetting the other ones. But anyway, in my learnings and I come up with one known answer. Graphic Design in the modern world is not easily defined. My opinion is that Graphic Designers ARE artists. Some of the comments listed in these articles express design as being "confined." Like we only "design" on a computer. I have many design friends and family that use a computer 50% of the time. The other 50% involves painting, illustration, photography... as my family taught me.. ANY MEANS NECESSARY to get your message across. Sure we work with clients... but so do other "creative" people.
Anyway.. what's your thoughts?