The term 'artist' can be defined only by an individual person. Just as people have individual thoughts and opinions on what they think a good piece of artwork is, people have different opinions on what an artist is, how to define and how to recognise one. Generally people define an artist as either any individual that creates original and meaningful work, or as any individual that creates original and meaningful work which is widely recognised and appreciated.
             Society perceives the artist in many ways, but stereotypically the artist is viewed as a somewhat alternative person, perhaps a little crazy, free-spirited, intense or different. This is perhaps due to the nature of artists throughout history; many were plagued by depression, drunkardness or insanity, for example, Jackson Pollock, Phillip Guston, William Baziotes and Vincent van Gogh. However, not all of society views artists in this stereotypical manner and realise that artists come in many shapes and forms and are generally just creative, thoughtful and talented people.
             Criteria for an artist differs from each individual, however society as a whole commonly thinks of an artist as a painter, sculptor or other person who produces an original piece of artwork and who is the source of its meanings. This view of an artist, however, is flawed. All pieces of work have a number of indirect sources and are therefore, not entirely original. The sources and their meaning come not only from other individuals but also from social practices, institutions and traditions.
             It is also difficult to define exactly what a piece of artwork is, and essentially, the term 'art' needs to be defined if one is to define the term 'artist.' Decisions about what counts as artwork usually rely on two connected things, technical factors and value-based factors. Technical factors include the material used for the piece, the design, the techniques that have been employed and the overall l...