The debate on Art Vs Craft continues
My first article on Art Versus Craft led me to some interesting insights. Basically the first article was really a question, "What defines "ticky tacky" and where's the line between that and art and craft."I posted this on the Fiber Arts board and got some fabulous responses: http://fiberartsmixedmedia.ning.com/ Probably the biggest response was discerning "crafter" from "craftsman" and artsy from crafter. A lot of this was imagination and taking techniques and "winging it".
"The crafters are the ones who as you say "cut and stick", use kits, copy trends (usually slavishly), jump on the bandwagon with popular items"
Not to mention crafters who sell their items to people who have no idea the amount of work or technique that goes into them:
"I just hate to be lumped in with the cut and stick brigade. I wouldn't want to deny any of these people the enjoyment they derive from their hobbies, but when they fetch up with their cut and stick cards at the same artists and craftsman market as me and tell me that I am putting off customers because my well designed and lovingly created handmade goods are too expensive, I GET A BIT CROSS!"
But some defend the word craft and all it includes. After all, many traditional quilters copy and repeat patterns and yet are amazing crafters…using techniques that make items special, like color and technical ability.
" I would like to reclaim the word "craft" which I think contains the idea of a special body of knowledge and skill passed on from generation to generation. My art is what I make; my craft is the skills I have learned in order to make it well."
A couple of great resources came up in this discussion, one is a fiber artist, Gwendolyn McGee who has a wonderful insight into art vs craft that can be found here. Another person suggested "Notes on Camp" by the late Susan Sontag.
Obviously, this discussion can go on and on and I find it quite interesting. One teacher I know has a constant battle because she s an excellent teacher, but doesn't like to create her own kits. In her opinion people who are creative are quite often not the best technical teachers. Does it lessen her talents that she teaches and doesn t create new kits?
I find a lot of the difference to me is the vast talent and knowledge. I 'm always amazed by the acceptance of paper artists - who create lovely things, but frankly how hard is it to master glue (ok, that was catty, but I had to say it). I know many many quilt and fiber artists who not only use color and creativity to create fabulous things, but know hand and machine sewing techniques to make them come alive. Beading, embroidery, machine embroidery, basic sewing techniques and much more - frankly I'm most impressed by the knowledge it takes to make their works gorgeous.
This entire discussion is particularly touchy in an artistic world where a lot of the products can be - GASP! - useful (like quilts, or wearable art or jewelry) but does it's use and technique demean it as art? Personally, I don t think so.
Labels: crafts, ponderances
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posted by Sharkeysday at
2/03/2008 08:09:00 AM
4 Comments:
A debate that will NEVER go away, and never be "solved"---i think it's up to each of us, deciding how serious we are about what we do and why.
Could you email me privately please about Embellishers ring, by the way ?
My sister (a professional artist) described the difference this way: "If you make a beautiful chair that's meant to be sat in, it's craft. If you make a beautiful chair that's meant to be put on display and looked at, it's Fine Art." To the purists of the art world, usefulness and worth are inversely proportional.
At the other end of the spectrum, the general non-artist, non-crafter public regards "crafts" as a cute pastime for children, old women and other non-productive members of society - and there are no degrees of distinction. A follow-the-directions scrapbook equals an originally designed quilt equals a macaroni duck.
Church-bazaar crafts do meet the art world criterion of being meant for a purpose - but does our toilet paper need to be covered with a crocheted doll? Isn't a macramé wall hanging purely decorative? Is the difference between art and craft really only a matter of taste or (dare I say it) class?
I won't discount the enjoyment some people get from assembling ready-made kits, but I don't want to be lumped in with them. I respect fine artists, but their rarefied world doesn't hold much interest for me either.
I like the term "artisan". It's heard rarely enough nowadays not to have many preconceived connotations. It evokes both creativity and mastery of a skill - plus it neatly sidesteps the whole "craftsman" sexism issue. An artisan is something I aspire to be, and I'd love to bring the word back to wider usage. Who's with me?
Katrin, I completley agree! I think artisan is a really great term! I wonder if it will catch on?
I am often caught in this never ending debate.
My craft is writing poetry.
One of the things I do with that poetry is to embellish angels that I have personally designed and had manufactured exclusively for me. But many of the embellishments I attach to the angels (which reflect the theme of the poetry I attach to the angel) are crafted by myself out of clay without molds.
Many of my customers consider my work "art" since it isn't functional per sey, and totally unique. I consider myself a crafter. And some organizers of some top shows consider me only an embellisher!
Come check out my blog and website!
http://www.crafterbs.blogspot.com/
http://www.PoetryByHardy.com
Theresa
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