What the hell does this mean or imply? Not only have I seen this in print from other interviews with photographers but I also have had that stated to me by a photographer I met in a state park. Besides the pretentious and arrogant tone, what is exactly meant by saying this? If I call myself a photographer, am I downgrading myself to just a recorder of images? If I call myself an artist, am I elevating myself to a false illusion based on popularity or is it just a comforting self serving justification for picking up a camera?
A definition of an artist is one who creates art with a conscious skill and creative imagination. The first question is what is art? Is art a conscious skill? Dadaists and Surrealists were always trying to unlock the unconscious mind as an area where real art could reside instead of in a conscious state which is manipulated by the social and political constructs of a society. An artist may just be an artist because that artist is popular in a society that always tries to label what is art and what makes an artist. The very definition of an artist is very restrictive in itself.
This also leads to the question of what is and defines creative imagination. Who defines what creative imagination is? Professional critics of music, books, film, stage, art always try to define what creative imagination is and how it should be presented. They are the vanguard, the soldiers of society to try and organize art into general understanding and appreciation for the citizens of that society. But is the job of a critic valid? Can it actually tell you what is art and what is an artist? Critics are the Cliff Notes for society at large who are barely interested in the arts.
If anyone picks up a camera there has to be some conscious skill in just taking a photograph even with a cell phone user. If they are too casual in taking the picture, they will know instantly if they failed to focus properly or their composition cut off heads or excluded what they wanted to photograph. They will have to develop some skills to correct these mistakes. Correcting these mistakes, are you going to call them just semi-skilled mechanics or is this just a glimpse into the beginning of an artistic journey?
A press journalist photographer records brief moments of history being made and very few people call these photographers artists. Why? Their photographic eye has to adjust extremely fast to the view in front of them and make quick second mental adjustments in what compositon would invoke the greatest response and emotion. These actions alone would constitute an artist in action. Artist or photographer? Both!!
How about a photographer saying that once they started thinking about their images and trying to improve what they are photographing then their path in photography started leading them to a more defined artistic and expressive form of photography. So instead of saying I am an artist not a Photographer, why not state increasing passion for photography led me to a more creative and personal path.