Most artists are all over the place with their art – we have to figure out and build our style and this takes time.

I think consistency is important to galleries, not so much to artists themselves. Galleries don’t like to freak out their collectors and artists who bounce all over the style map tend to alienate buyers/galleries – how do they add to their collection if you keep bouncing styles.

so, bounce in private, be free and freaky, but control something enough to zone into some consistencies for galleries – assuming you have any ‘professional’ aspirations.

la

Well if you look at Jeff Koons, for instance, I don’t think you could say he is consistent with his style.

There is a fundamental difference between consistency and “body of work.”

A body of work is like a series based on some theme/ or as you say, subject. They are often in the same style. Let’s just play an image game: So, African animals in a cubist style. Marinas in an impressonistic style. Insects made of peanut butter. Small drawings of rats on paper.

So all of these can become a “body of work” if you spend some time on them, and make more than (some unknown number). A gallery might be interested in one body of work, and not another.

The thing about this is that the art patron has no knowledge of your schedule in creating these pieces. You might be working simultaniously, and yet tuck each into a “folder” of the similar type pieces. So in 2020 you might create 10 small rat drawings, 5 insects of peanut butter, 7 marine paintings, and 3 cubist African animals. They are plugged into your classification system where ever you store them.

Gallery 1 patrons think you only draw small rats.
Some other place thinks you are a marina painter
Another place thinks you do cubist African animals
Another place thinks you do peanut butter insects.

You are an artist who has several (4 in the case of this imaginary artist), different bodies of work.

I sculpt, making North American animals. I also do pregnant women, I also paint I make abstracts that look nothing like the other stuff. My sculpture is slated for the gallary/museum scene. When I get 5 or so sculptures of pregnant women I would like to show them somewhere. I hardly ever show my paintings– they are just what I do for pleasure. Etc.

So when you show your work all together it looks like there is no rhyme or reason, but when you categorize everything, it looks like a body of work. And by the way, it is a fundamental of (at least) academic art to “explore” a subject. You really can’t explore a subject with one piece. What is the actual number of pieces? That is unknown. Some artists spent their entire known art careers painting the exact same thing over and over again. Some others did one thing and then another thing. Anyway this is the same thing LA said.

IMO, it’s not important unless you want to sell in galleries.

You can sell online sorting them into collections or sections.

Yes, it depends on what you want to do with your art career (if anything).

But it matters to more than just galleries. Any kind of juried show, for instance, any kind of art school, invitational shows, art fairs in some cases (the better ones are juried), artist in residency programs. Anyway, why limit yourself to a mere online Etsy shop or whatever.

There is a fundamental difference between consistency and “body of work.”

This is what I came here to say, but Katy said it way better than I could have.

I think when people stress out about not having a “style” they should just let it develop organically instead of putting themselves into a box. There are lots of artists that refuse to be limited by one style.

I think an artist would do well by continuing to push themselves in different areas as opposed to trying to make everything they do feel the same.

Yes, it depends on what you want to do with your art career (if anything).

But it matters to more than just galleries. Any kind of juried show, for instance, any kind of art school, invitational shows, art fairs in some cases (the better ones are juried), artist in residency programs. Anyway, why limit yourself to a mere online Etsy shop or whatever.

“Why limit yourself to a “mere” online Etsy shop or whatever”, you ask?

Question: What is “mere” about showing, selling art, painting for a living, being self-sufficient, not having to depend on the government or family members or soul-killing jobs to survive, painting exactly what one wants to paint, how they want to paint, when they want to paint?

I have done the gallery thing, I didn’t like it. But I’d never say that anyone pursuing that path is “merely” limiting themselves. To each his own. I don’t judge anyone else’s art choices.

I’m not consistent either. I think consistency is really a branding issue – nothing to do with art. If you look at famous painters, they will have gone through various phases. We change, we grow – why should our work stay the same.

I’m not consistent either. I think consistency is really a branding issue – nothing to do with art. If you look at famous painters, they will have gone through various phases. We change, we grow – why should our work stay the same.

This. My thoughts exactly.