Selling Out?

Many of my students have made comments about selling out...They'll refer to artists that they like who have sold illustrations or designs to corporate America as sellouts. To this I reply, "At least they sold something".

I was inspired by this gallery exhibition of "Red Bull Art of Can". http://www.redbullartofcan.com where it's an obvious Marketing ploy to promote Red Bull through art. However, the artwork is pretty cool! Check it out.

What good is art if it's sitting in house somewhere instead of being hung up or printed for public purchasing. What good is talent if it's waiting for that perfect job instead of creating something that was commissioned. I do think there are times when artists "sell-out" and represent themselves poorly for the sake of a dollar. But... Selling to corporate America or to the masses is successful business and will gain exposure for the artist and hopefully pull them out of that one room loft. Whether you like it or not, art is a business and always has been. It's only recently that Artists have been undervaluing their work.

- Paul Kiesche