Today the term artist is used to refer to a broad range of creative individuals across the globe from both past and present. This rather general usage erroneously suggests that the concept or word “artist” existed in original contexts.
(A)
Inventions, ideas, and discoveries have been credited to the persons who originated them. This view is also at the core of the definition of an “artist.” Artists are perceived to establish a strong bond with their art to the point of combining into one “entity.”
(B)
In contrast to the diversity it is applied to, the meaning of this term continues to be mostly based on Western views and values. Since the fifteenth century, this tradition has been concerned with recognizing individual achievements.
(C)
Art history has reinforced this oneness: A painting by Pablo Picasso is called “a Picasso.” This union between artists and their work has determined the essential qualities of an artist: originality, authorship, and authenticity.
* authenticity: 진정함, 확실성