Talent, how important is it for an artist?

Looking at Art:

What is your first thought when you look at artwork you love? Is it that the artist is very talented? Talent is thought of as a gift and an artist who is very famous is often considered a genius. However, when you look at the work of the most famous artists in history, it is hard to miss the variety of modes of expression. The work of Paul Klee was deliberately childlike. Jean-Michel Basquiat’s art looks like it might have been done by a middle school child. His work started out as graffiti on city walls and ended up as large paintings hung in museums. The persistent work of a person who is driven to be an artist and their overwhelming desire to communicate with art materials seems much more important than what we may conceive of as a gift given at birth that others do not have.

In the studio:

When I took my first course in ceramics I was drawn to clay like no other material. I spent hours in the student studio and later in my own studio working with clay, even though my first attempts were far from pleasing. I watched large pieces collapse and glazed pieces look rather awful. With years of work and lots of experience clay became magic in my hands. I don’t think talent played a part in this process of dedication and hard work inspired by the material I love. Perhaps being an artist takes motivation and perseverance instead of talent. What do you think?

Seascape , Ceramic Sculpture, 13” x 8” x 7”, won first prize in a multimedia, juried exhibition at Art Center Sarasota