Professional and Amateur: the rise of the 'pro-am'

It is a well known fact that if you are involved in the arts, are serious about what you do and want others to take you seriously you need to label yourself 'a professional'. I have seen this among photographers, models, dancers, actors, visual artists etc etc. It speaks volumes about our society and culture and the institutionalisation of the arts.

In this day and age, however, the people who make a living out of their chosen art - the so called 'professionals', in other words, are fewer and fewer. People still refer to themselves as professionals for fear of losing face and work opportunities but in fact they may be waiting on tables to pay their rent and practise their art at night. The number of 'professional' artists keeps on growing, thanks to the many graduates from various universities art degrees, including performing arts, and art schools: all very capable, talented, well trained. What happens to them all? Is this 'pro' versus 'am' a false dichotomy? Is excellence only dependent on being a 'pro'?

No, not really.

In the 21st century we are seeing the rise of the 'pro-am', the amateur who makes work of professional standard but does not earn a living out of his/her art.

In this respect I found Diana Ragsdale's post on the website of the McKnight Foundation particularly enlightening. The professionalised ethos of the arts and culture sector in the US (and not only in the US), says Diana, is "at odds" with reality, "out of synch in an era in which amateurs working to professional standards are increasingly embraced as talented and vital contributors across many fields".

I characterise myself, happily, as a 'pro-am'. I model, dance, teach dance even, but dont make most of my living out of it. I don't regard my work in any way inferior to that of a 'pro'.

Art is there to enhance the quality of life of individuals and communities. By fetishizing professionalism we seem to lose sight of what art is about.

As one of Diana's commentators, Michael Garcés writes:

"By pointing out that good work is happening in many contexts, often outside the larger institutions or other places where the market can sustain a living, is a call for greater, not lesser, rigor. But it places the onus on individuals to make decisions for themselves what is good, or even great, art, as opposed to accepting what they are told to value. To my mind Ragsdale is not calling for a lowering of standards, but rather, in this sense, asking that we take on the responsibility for standards as discerning individuals"

I could not agree more.




(All photos modelled by Alex B and taken by Korrigan)