> Devon Rodriguez is almost certainly the most famous artist in the world, at least on one level. Almost no one I know has ever heard of him.
It's clear that the author means that in _popular circles_, he's very famous, but in _critical circles_, he's unknown. The author isn't trying to draw a comparison with Van Gogh. He's trying to make a statement about the changing nature of what it means to be a popular artist.
I think the parent post is making a very valid point that even in _popular circles_ he's relatively unknown, as his fan base may be large, very intense and vocal on social media but is still tiny fraction of the general public, the vast majority of whom have never heard of this artist but would know various older mainstream artists.
"Many millions" is a lot when compared to my popularity, but insignificant when compared to actually popular artists.
Like, HN is not a forum where art critics would be overrepresented, and it would be somewhat reasonable reflection "popular circles" and even one that favors an artist which, according to the article, draws heavily on younger and more app-using population than the general one. If we'd have a poll right here about artists people can name, do you really think that he would come out on top? Or even be in top 10?
I'd probably struggle to name three living painters (the claim in the title wasn't about "artists" but "painters"). It feels like a moribund artform, there's no such thing as a mainstream painter any more. If there's fame to be had in it, it's mostly due to the art being attached to something else (comics, games, or in this particular case TikTok videos) rather than as standalone pieces of art.
It's actually kind of interesting. There's tons of living actors, authors, directors, and musicians that are household names on a global scale. But architects, painters, poets or sculptors? Everyone I can think of is dead.
> I'd probably struggle to name three living painters (the claim in the title wasn't about "artists" but "painters").
Hockney, Hirst (even if he only moved into painting fairly recently), Kit Williams. But yeah I'm struggling to come up with a fourth.
> It's actually kind of interesting. There's tons of living actors, authors, directors, and musicians that are household names on a global scale. But architects, painters, poets or sculptors? Everyone I can think of is dead.
Architects I disagree with, but for the rest there's a lot more competition lately. Painting never really recovered its social standing after the rise of photography. There are a lot of alternatives to a poetry reading, many of them more enjoyable or at least more accessible.
She's not a mere dauber. She's skilled. She's not just a "conceptual artist".
I thought Picasso was all about revolutionizing art, until I visited the Picasso Museum in Barcelona, and saw his juvenilia. Then I realized that he was an extremely skilled draughtsman, anatomist and figurative painter.
I'm not keen on Tracy Emin, but I was mistaken to underestimate her.
> There's tons of living actors, authors, directors, and musicians that are household names on a global scale. But architects, painters, poets or sculptors?
It's music too.
The largest concerts in history according to Wikipedia belong to Vasco Rossi, Bijelo Dugme, and Glay.
Ever heard of them?
I suspect we're simply unaware of the marketing bias we're all walking around with.
> Devon Rodriguez is almost certainly the most famous artist in the world, at least on one level. Almost no one I know has ever heard of him.
It's clear that the author means that in _popular circles_, he's very famous, but in _critical circles_, he's unknown. The author isn't trying to draw a comparison with Van Gogh. He's trying to make a statement about the changing nature of what it means to be a popular artist.