Greetings Warriors!

Today I want to talk about a very important topic within the art community. This discussion is near and dear to me. I want to start saying that everyone who is determined has the right to succeed. To be successful in the desired field of choice if they try hard enough. We are all different and hold different viewpoints on what it means to be successful or what avenues one should take to obtain success. I want to talk about a serious topic: “Gate Keeping”. In its simplest form gatekeeping is when a person or persons prevent others from being successful. Oftentimes the person or group preventing others from succeeding have already gained a high level of success or notoriety within their particular field. This subject is very broad and I will break it down into a multi part series covering gatekeeping stemming from artist gate keeping other artists, collectors possibly banning together and banning artists from being successful, and how plagiarism plays a heavy role in this as well. You guys know me, I’m always on the quest to give you the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Art in its purest form, is an expression of the human spirit – a boundless domain where creativity should ideally flow uninhibited. However, within the art community an invisible force exists that can stiffen that creativity. This force is gatekeeping. This mysterious force exists in various forms, from biases against certain styles. Some of the biggest controversies are even just defining “what is art?”. There are many heated discussions throughout the ages on what qualifies as art. At one point in time most art derived from the wishes of the church and anything outside of the holiness was not considered art, similar disagreements started in the 70’s when pop art started to take the scene, many people had disagreements to consider anything non-traditional art. It took many decades for artworks of everyday normal people living their lives to be considered art. Some issues are derived from issues with a particular person because there are disagreements on how that individual conducts themselves publicly and sometimes privately as well.

At the heart of this gatekeeping lies a clash of styles. Traditionalists often view contemporary methods, especially digital art, with a certain skepticism, questioning their legitimacy compared to classical techniques. This rift isn't just about preference; it's a battleground of perceived authenticity and skill. On one side, there's reverence for the time-honored methods – oil on canvas, meticulous brushwork, the classical training routes. On the other, a world of digital tablets, stylus pens, and software, where the undo button is as much a tool as the brush was to the old masters.

I’m going to dive into another area that is…How you should call it… sensitive in nature and that is “tracing”. Tracing, or the act of duplicating an image line by line, sits at a particularly contentious intersection of this debate. To some, it's a learning tool, a stepping stone towards understanding form and structure. To others, it's a taboo, a shortcut that undermines the essence of true artistic creation. The debate intensifies when it comes to professional work. Is using tracing in a commissioned piece a breach of artistic integrity, or just another method in a modern artist's toolkit? I have spoken to many artists about this topic, this subject is polarizing and have caused online debates on its usage. Some may say you are not a true artist if you produce any form of art with tracing. If discovered, you will be exposed and a scandal may come of it.You will be blocked and some artist may tell collectors not to buy from you essentially leading to gatekeeping. You have been deemed unworthy to participate in the art community.Of course there are many exceptions, some scenarios extend beyond tracing references of yourself and publicly available and purchased material to straight copy pasting work of other artists.

Why do artists gate keep? It's a complex blend of tradition, ego, and fear. The art world, historically, has been about mastery and apprenticeship, where skills are honed over years, even lifetimes. When new methods challenge these established norms, it can feel like an intrusion, a dilution of the 'purity' of art. There's also an element of fear – fear of being rendered obsolete, of losing one's place in an ever-evolving landscape.

For some artists gatekeeping can be disheartening, imaging being told that your art “isn’t real art”. As I mentioned before, there was a time period that only art related to the church was considered “real art” ; anything outside of that “isn’t real art”. I’m going to touch on a “third rail” topic just for a brief moment. I get it, AI art is extremely controversial at the moment. With good reason, there are good and bad actors within the AI art realm. There’s the topic of plagiarism and how AI art generators are sourcing its references. But completely dismissing the technology and labeling anyone that uses AI “not a real artist” is a form of gatekeeping. I have been playing around with AI for almost a year now and I can say there can be some considerable amount of effort put into creating something meaningful and with purpose.

I would like to add that art is subjective and ever-evolving. Today's avant-garde is tomorrow's classic. Recognizing this is key to breaking down the walls of gatekeeping. This doesn't mean abandoning traditional art forms or disregarding the importance of foundational skills. Rather, it's about acknowledging that art can take many forms and that each form has its value and place in the artistic tapestry.

Social media and online art communities play a crucial role in this dialogue. These platforms have the power to either reinforce gatekeeping or break it down. We live in a world where our online personas exist as extensions of ourselves. Of course, our spirit and essence are captured in the art creations we make, but our online presence carries a lot of weight and cannot be dismissed. I will say this... There’s a lot of gossip and drama in the art world, hahaha. This often leads to clicks and groups forming that may prejudge other artists. Sometimes, one artist or a group of artists not liking another may lead to offline discussions, whispers, or rumors of actively boycotting the disliked artist's work. Slander can be created to ward off collectors from acquiring work from the disliked artist. I like to be of the mindset of live and let live. There’s so much space that I don’t believe one should go out of his or her way to prevent someone they personally do not like from prospering. That’s just me, I guess. What do I know? I’m just some guy on the internet that screams 'Warrior!' all day, hahaha.

In conclusion, the art community, at its best, should be a place of growth, exploration, and mutual respect. Gatekeeping, especially regarding artistic styles and methods like tracing, AI, undermines this idea. By embracing a broader definition of art and recognizing the value in various techniques, the art community can become a more welcoming space for all artists. Forming clicks and stirring up drama is also a concern that helps no one in the long run. Let's champion a world where creativity is nurtured in all its forms, where every artist, regardless of their method or style, If you like them or not, is given the canvas to express their unique vision.

What are your views on gatekeeping? Do you believe it exists? Don’t be a stranger, leave a comment below.

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