There is a very funny saying in Serbian language, and it roughly translates to "Whores are the ones who talk about decency the most." Don't worry, this blog post has nothing to do with sex workers or anyone's choice of expressing their sexual or professional ideas
This was just to make a point, which will become clear further on. So, this world of alternative modeling is full of people who literally insist on being called and considered artists. True, creative and free spirits who only want to express their artistic vibe and view of the world. They want to be recognized as unique and otherworldly.
No, they are not regular models, they don't just put on clothes and pose, they are something more, visionaries, trendsetters. Their work is so unique and their ideas are pure epiphany. And if you happen to have a similar idea, they don't think for a second before calling you a copycat. All of this would be perfectly fine if some of those same people weren't just plain frauds.
I see this every day. An "artist" of this kind goes from 5 to 5000 followers on social media literally overnight. And the numbers keep on climbing daily. Today, there is 5k, tomorrow 15, and in a week, that amazing artist who wears goth clothes for photos, has more fans than an actor from The Game of Thrones Really? Who would ever doubt the credibility of that? Brands and designers should. And unbelievably, some of them don't.
Some brands ask for a certain number of followers/likes/subscribers in order to work with you, and that is completely justified. They want to make sure that they will get enough exposure with your photos.
But they really don't check the origin of those followers, and it goes to their detriment too. It is enough to take a look at a single photo. If a model has 100k followers, and gets 500 likes per photo, something doesn't add up, right? It is that simple!
But the point is not who gets collaborations, good models eventual do, regardless of the numbers. The point is the hypocrisy and lies. Is that the way you express your artistic soul, by typing in the number of your credit cards below the "Buy followers today" button?
In the terms of your amazing artistic world, I call it a plagiarism.
I know I would never pay people to read and like my book, and I would surely not feel good to know that my fans are bought, no matter where it takes me next.
If you still chose to pay for your support, that is fine, a lot of people do it, but please, do not abuse the name of Artist. You will never be one, no matter how loud you shout it.