Venturing into the world of fan art and seeing through the eyes of three fan artists themselves
FAN ART has always been a fascinating genre of the visual arts. For those of you living under a rock, the key terms we’re using here are A) fandom, a community of people bonded over shared interest of a work of fiction, musician, or celebrity; and B) fan art, or artwork voluntarily created by fans of the specific fandom they’re a part of.
Becoming part of a fandom is an exciting and oftentimes enlightening investment of one’s time and emotions. (Fans can probably say it’s a lot like falling in love.) But to create work out of love for another creative venture is another thing in itself. Artists choose to portray other people’s creations through their own styles and viewpoints. Whether it’s illustrations of favorite movies, films, book characters, or full-blown comics of their favorite band members, fan art becomes a means for fans to bond over shared interests.
The medium of fan art, though, is not without its controversies. Because fan art uses characters and concepts (and sometimes, actual human beings) from other people’s work, it’s often dismissed as an invalid form of art. Since fans tend to make their own narratives of the originals, some view fan art as a result of the blurring of the line between fan and creator.
But one thing is for sure: Fan art remains the most embraced form of fan expression worldwide, more so than fan fiction, video, and cosplay.
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