Rachel Klein
Art Director
Graphic Design: Is It Art?
Referring to our work as “art” is uncomfortable for many of us in creative fields. Design and art are closely related in my mind but looking at the actual definitions makes it clear that one has much less intellectual significance, for lack of a better term. So why do designers and other commercial artists avoid “art” and instead favor terms like “creative?” Why do we call ourselves “designers” instead of “artists?” Does monetizing our work take it out of the realm of “art?”
Can Design be Art?
Can graphic design ever live up to the label “art?” To me, “art” implies self-expression where “graphic design” is a means to an end: selling something for the client, be it their brand, message, service, or product. We (often) create things on demand with specific parameters or goals in mind, frequently provided with a concept or name or starting point. Clearly this is not the sort of emotional release that we think of with Pollack or social-political reflections of Basquiat. This supports the argument that creatives are not artists, but when we look at some of the most beautiful branding and design work, how could it be anything other than art? The best examples of design are beautiful, evocative, and emotional. One scroll through the Print Magazine website indisputably confirms that designers are constantly producing legitimate art.Â
“The best examples of design are beautiful, evocative, and emotional.”
Art Belongs to You, Design Doesn’t
My partner is also a commercial artist, but he works for himself. His art is in his style almost exclusively, but the parameters are still defined by the client. This is where the line blurs even further. He creates for others, on commission and calls those creations his design work. When he paints for pleasure with no guidelines and no promise of income, he proudly declares his latest creation a work of art. So maybe art vs. design depends on intent. Commissioned work is commercial design and a creation of passion made for no one but ourselves is art.
A Beautiful Intersection
Like everything pertaining to art, declaring something art over design, or design over art is completely subjective. For creatives, it’s a personal line that we draw between our art and our design work, but I posit that they are one and the same. The viewer will decide, likely without regard for the creator’s feelings, so self expression and monetized creations fall under one umbrella. The viewer decides for themselves if it is art or advertising or sometimes, gloriously, both.
Jason’s Take
Rachel elevates the value of advertising in a brilliant way. Why is “advertising” so often labeled as trite, condescending, and sometimes even punishing? “Stop seeing ads, pay for this app.” Both art and advertising are powerful in the right time and place, and for the right person. Therein lies their purpose. I most often think of myself and other designers as artists. To Rachel’s point, art is the ingredient that adds personalization and relevance. An artist’s self-expression will always express something to others. Artists cannot lay claim to what that expression must mean to others. Neither artists nor designers can dictate; we all interpret art to our individual circumstances, experiences and needs. Great artists and designers act as adept tour guides, getting us to a place swiftly and impactfully.