Have you dreamed of being a famous artist? While your alive? It has been done. And it can be a good way to make a living. This post is part of a series of posts discussing artists and fame. What defines fame for the artist living in 2008? Is fame a good goal? How can an artist become famous? Please join the conversation as we discuss fame for the 21st Century artist.

Fame can be a profitable for anyone. Rich and famous seem to always go together. This is also true for artists. Andy Warhol was obsessed with fame. For Warhol fame was not a byproduct of his art but a goal in and of itself. He wanted to be famous. And he was. He pulled off something few artists in recent times have. He was famous and well known while he was alive. A visual artist that was also pop culture personality.

Did it pay off? In classic terms of success it sure did. Even while he was alive his art had a high demand and fetched rediculus prices. On the downside some would say his fame also helped him get shot, but we’ll get to that side of the coin later.

I think Warhol was ahead of his time and would feel right home in the pop culture landscape of 2008. Because these days we have a new kind of fame. A Do-It-Yourself, or DIY, version of fame that goes by many names. Niche celebrity, micro-fame, or Internet famous. These are people who have built a large fan base mostly because of what they have put on the internet in one form another. Most can be found on YouTube or some other video platform.

What does this mean for you the artist? An artist with a large enough fan base will be able to make a living with their art. Taking the steps to become Internet famous could be a route for you to do your art full time. So how do you do it? Can an oil painter, or a sculptor become Internet famous? What do you think?
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