In and of itself, art is not about making money. But if you are going to define yourself as a professional, it becomes much different. Let's be realistic. If you're trying to make a living at it, then it is about making money. I'm not talking about scheming your way into instant riches and fame, just making an honest, comfortable life for yourself. Unless you're lucky enough to be living on a trust fund or lottery winnings, you probably have to think about profitability from time to time. But that doesn't mean you have to compromise your art as well. For example, if you are producing intricate, time consuming, "artistic" pieces, and you supplement that with simpler, more production-oriented work, does it make you less of an artist? Just because you're making steadier income?Doing good business is an art, no arguments there, but making art is not about making money (which doesn't precluce making money from making art) and to confuse those two as being somehow hand in glove is one of the mistaken premises you have put forth that I have taken issue with....that, and the comments you have made that denegrate those who persue this work from an arts emphasis perspective in their work and process.
I suppose there's a certain preciousness to one-of-a-kind work. It's the only one in existence, it has the maker's hand clearly visible in it, etc. I won't deny the power of that. It's a very important emotional component of a piece of art, and one that makes the difference to many people. Others might refer to it as snob appeal, and in a sense it is. Consider this: You really like a famous painting, but lack the millions of dollars required to purchase it. So you buy a poster, hang it on your wall, and get to look at it every day. It doesn't have the status or the auction value of the original, but it makes you just as happy. That's value too. I am not suggesting that one of a kind work is unnecessary. In fact, I think it's more important than ever as the world gets more and more homogenized. But I don't think that something should automatically be cheapened by not being the only one of its kind.
Let's not forget that what started this whole discussion was a suggestion about pricing. That's what pulled us all in and got us debating. You might call yourself an artist if you make $20 production pieces or $10,000 sculptures. But once you take them out of the studio and offer them to the public for money, you are also a businessperson. If nobody here cared how much they were making for their work, nobody would be reading this. It's just a matter of deciding how you personally want to earn money.