What are the Different Types of Artists?

Introduction: What are the Different Types of Artists?

In an era with an enormous array of different types of contemporary art, one might wonder what the different types of artists are today – and in the past. Furthermore, there is more than one parameter to create types of artists; some of these parameters are very important and commonly used in the art industry. But what are they, and what are the different types of artists according to these parameters?

The different types of artists are determined by the medium (for instance, a collage artist), the artist’s career (for example, an emerging artist), the art movement connected to the artist (for example, a pop artist), the general style of the artist (abstract artist) or the genre the artist practices (for example a portrait artist).

As a result, following these five different parameters, we can present you with a complete overview of the different types of artists. So, without further ado, let’s jump into the first types of artists with the medium.

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Different Types of Artists by Medium

Following the different types of art based upon medium, we can differentiate the different kinds of artists accordingly. Please note an artist can be a painter and an installation artist simultaneously. This can often be referred to as a multimedia artist.

As a result, we have listed the different types of artists by medium below:

• The painter
• The sculptor
• The draughtsman
• The printmaker
• The collage artist
• The digital (collage artist)
• The (fine art) photographer
• The video artist
• The installation artist
• The land artist
• The (public) intervention artist
• The performance artist

Different Types of Artists by Career

The art industry often refers to certain types of artists based on their careers and status. Please note that this list has many gray areas between the different types of artists. Often it is not clear when an artist moves from being an emerging artist to being a mid-career artist. However, it is most often obvious when one speaks of an established artist.

To have a good understanding of these types of artists, we have listed the different types using the correct terminology below, including a short and concise definition:

• The beginning artist: the beginning artist is an artist who has just started their career. As a result, the artist in question does not have a mature body of works, decent exhibition history, or any recognition in the art world.
• The emerging artist: an emerging artist is an artist who has a decent body of works and some exhibition history. As a result, the artist in question has caught the eye of some galleries and collectors. However, for now, their career and status have no convincing recognition from the industry.
• The mid-career artist: A mid-career artist is not an artist in the middle of his career according to his lifespan. They are an artist with a strong and mature body of works and a good exhibition history resulting in national and international recognition in the art world. At this point, the artist may have participated in some exhibitions at museum institutions or significant art events.
• The established artist: An established artist, often referred to as a blue-chip artist, is an artist who has an extensive body of works and internationally established recognition in the art world. As a result, the artist has had multiple exhibitions at major institutions or events and has a proven value in the art market.

Different Types of Artists by Art Movement

When it comes to the different types of artists based on art movement, it’s very self-explanatory. If the artist is connected to a specific art movement, for instance, Conceptual Art, then we can call the artist a conceptual artist. As a result, every art movement results in a type of artist. However, not all artists are exclusively bound to one particular direction. Or, some art movements are part of a more significant art movement. As a result, a modern artist can also be a surrealist artist, as surrealism is an art movement of modernism.

We have listed the most important types of artists by movement below to create a clear overview:

• Renaissance artist
• Mannerist
• Baroque artist
• Classicist artist
• Rococo artist
• Neoclassicist artist
• Romanticist artist
• Realist artist
• Symbolist artist
• Modern artist
• Impressionist artist
• Post-impressionist artist
• Fauvist artist
• Cubist artist
• Futurist artist
• Expressionist artist
• Dada artist
• Suprematist artist
• Constructivist artist
• Surrealist artist
• Abstract expressionist artist
• Postmodern artist
• Pop artist
• Conceptual artist
• Fluxus artist
• Feminist artist
• Minimal artist
• Photorealist artist
• Arte Povera artist
• Neo-Expressionist artist
• Body artist
• Environmental artist
• Kinetic artist
• Op artist

Different Types of Artists by Style

When it comes to the art styles, there is often some confusion as people often to see a certain art movement as an art style, which are two different things. The style of the art refers to the visual characteristics. As a result, a certain style, for instance abstract art, can have several art movements, in this example abstract expressionism, minimalism, suprematism, constructivism and op art for instance.

We have listed the most common types of artists based upon style below:

• abstract artist
• figurative artist
• academic artist
• graphic artist

Different Types of Artists by Genre

We conclude this article with the different types of artists based upon the genre they are occupied with. A genre is a certain niche or topic artist can focus on. As a result, some artists dedicate their oeuvre to one specific genre, making the notion of a type of artist by niche very appropriate. Therefore, we have listed the different types of artists by genre below:

• Portrait artist
• Landscape artist
• Still life artist
• Urban artist
• History artist
• Figure artist

Last Updated on September 15, 2023