[Talk] Is fetish art a waste of talent?

[Fairy]

So I was watching a video and I want to get some thoughts on an interesting opinion that came up.

Are people who draw fetish art / NSFW art a waste of good time and talent?

There's a lot of implications in this question so I'm deliberately going to leave it a little vague. Discuss the inherent merits of fetish art vs. art that attracts a wider audience, censorship, paid art vs. art for fun, whether or not it's anyone else's business, etc.

 

[CDB]

I think as long as the artists enjoy drawing what they do then it's a perfectly good use of their time, but a trend I've noticed is that people tend to pay more for fetish art & the like, and artists will do those commissions just because they need that extra money. While I don't think that's bad per se, it does suck when they want to draw something else but can't.

 

[Nina]

This is a question of fine arts versus art as a job and art as a hobby.

Is fetish/porn art fine art? I'd say no. Just because a work of art contains nudity or fetish does not mean that it is porn. Something something court case, judge said it best "I know it when I see it". Fetish art is drawn with the intent to titillate, and as such is porn. I don't think porn is fine art, which is art meant to invoke a higher thought and concept above it's technical aspects. So I don't think fetish/porn art fits this criteria.

Though as my professor said, there's a difference between Art with a capital and lowercase art. Art is fine art, art is work you do for hobby, enjoyment, decoration, and for jobs. art is not at all less important than fine art and is necessary for all kinds of applications.

Fetish/porn art is perfectly fine as non-fine art and I don't think is a waste of time. It can be done for personal enjoyment, therapeutic reasons, and for paid art. Everyone has needs and not everyone is pure and that's ok. I also find no issue with it being censored within public places, as it's meant for more private thoughts an viewing. Again, specifically porn arts, not art that has nudity or mature themes in it.

 

[DoctorHver]

I applogy for bumping this age old thread but I would still think the topic is relevant as its an age old question.

I think its higly depends on what the aim with fetish art is,

if its drawn as a hobby from time to time and not mass produced so one would never be able to make any meaningful money out of it then I think its probably not waste of time as they did it for fun. Specially if the have another job not related to drawing.

IF they are mass producing fetish art without making any money of it even if they could then yes I would argue they have wasted their time. why produce all this art and not make anything in return. I mean specailly if they could be making more money than their lousy day job would pay them (This could even include where their main job is to draw non-fetish art).

IF they are a main stream artist and then drew fetish art from time to time then I dont think it waste I mean the famed Disney duck artist Carl Barks occasionally drew sexual stuff and nutity form time to time and I have never heard any Carl Barks scholar argue that Barks wasted his time drawing those.

So at the end of the day I dont think I or anyone else for that matter can tell somone that they wasted their time drawing fetish art, I might have wasted my own time looking at it though when I could have done something more productive with my time. I also belive that any artist would have to decide for themselfs if they wasted their time prouducing the said art. Then they can just throw the stuff a way and draw something else or do something else.

 

[Palamon]

It's not, just don't show it where minors can see it and I don't care.

 

[PknTrainerKatelyn]

Nah, just let them do what they want. The concept of "wasting time" is not only a man made concept (just like linear time), but one that is different to each individual. Tommy might think Jimmy is wasting his time, but Jimmy or even Burt doesn't think so. In that case, who's "right"? None. Now, which audiences will react positively vs negatively to that art will vary, but that can also go back to the idea of "wasting time". Hope that makes sense 😊

 

[Yume Tsuki]

I'd argue like anyone else, as if one enjoyed the process of drawing it or got paid for it it's not wasted time. But also additionally it can help gain experience to become a better artist so... I don't really ever see it as wasted time. You'll always win something out of it as a creator of the piece.

As for "talent". I kinda dislike how offhandedly that word gets tossed around. Like yes, sure, there is a trait to be inherently already at a decent level on something. But I think it's short-sighted to assume someone who is good at something is so because they were born to be good at it. It low-key erases recognition for all the work the artist has gone through to reach the level they are at.
"Waste of talent" in that regard feels extra insulting. Who are you to tell someone what they should do in life? I bet there are plenty of people around that got a talent for something, but don't necessarily do anything with that because it's not aligning with their interests. Does that mean they wasted their talent as well?


I think most importantly people simply forget that not everything is about them or their preferences. They use their own opinion to measure how much value something holds to them specifically. Yet art is about the goal the artist intends to achieve for themselves. If anyone thinks what an artist made is a waste of time or talent, then it's more likely that they are just not part of the demograph or goal the artist has been trying to achieve.

Fetish/porn in itself is likely the most opinion provoking one since people have strong opinions for or against it. So it's the most likely where one is going to point out whether it's valuable or not. But it's frankly just objective.


I definitely do think such works should be appropriately tagged and posted somewhere where the crowd it's made for can actually appreciate it. Not only does it make it easier to find for those who are seeking such specifics out and be appreciated the way it's intended. But it also keeps it out of view for those who see no value or appreciation for it and simply do not want to see it. There is a time and place for everything.