The first role of the Artist (painter, poet, writer) to be a conductor of certain ideas of God (mysterious common otherworldly ideas).
In this sense, the artist does not produce anything on his own - he is only a guide. Well, they often say that - an artist is a priest, an artist is a shaman.
The second one. You can (and should) consider the profession of an Artist (an Artist with a capital “X” - a painter, sculptor, poet, writer, musician, finally) as a researcher. It must be said that this type of activity is comparable with such professions as a physicist, chemist, mathematician, and doctor.
What is it? Both those, and others, and the third study the world, create and compare patterns, reveal and formulate laws.
A physicist studies the world from his point of view, a chemist with his own, a mathematician in his own way, artists - with his own tools as well.
This position can be quite simply and clearly substantiated.
There are vivid examples - from completely different artists (for example, writers) who wrote at completely different times.
Only one thing unites them - an attentive and careful look at the world, its deep study, comparison and generalization of its rules and laws.
One of them is Lev Tolstoy. His beginning of the novel "Anna Karenina" is a vivid example of such an ability:
“All happy families are alike, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
At the beginning of the novel, a talented and lively generalization was applied, based on excellent observation and a sharp mind. The very beginning already makes you read further.
Another example - the final generalization - can be found in Alexander Solzhenitsyn in his “One Day of Ivan Denisovich”:
“A day passed, unclouded by nothing, almost happy.
There were three thousand six hundred and fifty-three such days in his term from call to call.
Because of leap years - three days of extra was accumulated ... "
Here we are shown how a person deprived of freedom treasures freedom. And such a count of time, before reaching freedom, only emphasizes its preciousness.
Finally, in recent times, such a generalization - an example of full-fledged and artistic thinking - can also be cited.
For example, he is (laid down in the form of a quote) in Evgeny Vodolazkin's Lavra: “He remembered the words of Arseny the Great: many times I regretted the words my mouth spoke, but I never regretted silence.”
It is important to know and remember that in these cases it is important to establish the truth, a certain regularity, generalize the idea that allows us to realize or see the world around us from some new (other) side.
Speaking of writers, this is not wit, or not a red word for the sake of a red word (for oneself) - this is a formulation.
In poetry - if it is lyrics, for example - perhaps a careful and detailed description of a certain process inside a person becomes important (“And all the souls of my bend, Pierced tart wine,” “I put on my right hand, The glove on my left hand”).
The artist “sees the world like this”, and rather doesn’t see it that way - but thinks about it that way.
And if we consider the world to be the creation of God (and there is God), then the study of the world, and what it created, is, in fact, an approximation to the Creator.
And in this sense, recognition, money - these are not the criteria by which art is worth evaluating. Only approaching the Creator is a true measure.
If the Writer or the Poet owns their tools (language, pen, brush, hands, hearing and the ability to think), and create something with their help - by studying and describing the world around them - this is the only right way to evaluate their role as followers of the Creator of this of the world.
Nothing else.
Examples:
1. Van Gogh for his life for his whole life, sold one painting (to his brother), died in a madhouse.
2. Modigliani, drunk and stoned with hash, ran around Montmartre and said: "I am an old Jew Modigliani draw paintings, portraits of five francs." He died in poverty. His painting was recently sold for $ 170,000,000.
3. Dovlatov was expelled from Russia, he drank himself in New York, now a monument to Rubinshtein was erected to anyone who was not needed and he is a genius.
4. Brodsky planted and expelled from the USSR
Who was evaluated - and now too? Mikhalkovs - father, sons. Nikas Safronov. Zurab Tsereteli.
So - I am alone - very expensive. I am priceless.
“Without me, the people are not complete,” as Platonov said (he was not appreciated by his contemporaries either.