My personal experience produces no argument with highly respected Dictionaries and Reference works describing CRAFT as an ART form… and ART as a CRAFT(if in doubt, please check this out with your own personal information/learning sources).
I embrace, with complete affinity, the belief that crafting requires skill, dexterity, proficiency and ingenuity — to become a member of the ‘family of artistic practices within the decorative arts’.
A definition I like, found in Wikipedia:-
‘A CRAFT is a skill, especially involving practical ARTS. It may refer to a trade or particular ART.’
As a craftsperson dedicated to a continuing quest for improvement and expansion of my creativity, there is no doubt in my mind I am an artisan (or a person ‘skilled in an applied art; a craftsperson.’).
From humble beginnings, learning knitting from my Mother and teaching myself to crochet, initially I utilised these skills to produce items for myself, family and friends. Over the years this has progressed through various selling venues to this moment in time where I am attempting internet marketing of my creations.
Whether these are handcrafts, or my other passion, writing — the principles stated in my Introduction above, apply equally, eg:
Skill — an ability, sometimes innate, or inborn to your essential character; sometimes developed from knowledge and practice — in my case, I think both. There have been some talented crafts persons in my heredity and I have worked hard at development for a long time.
Dexterity — for me, is both ease and expertise in using my hands, together with a goodly measure of mental agility.
Proficiency — of course, competency in performance; developing an increasing degree of expertise; and experiencing a feeling of accomplishment that an item has been produced to the best of your current ability.
Ingenuity — a preparedness to think laterally through conception and creation; to design and produce each individual craft piece with flair and inventiveness; to imaginatively use materials at hand to fashion something new and appealing.
And let us not forget — Integrity — a word that often feels as obsolete as dinosaurs in this rapidly changing world and its attitudes. Integrity has an incredible number of definitions — but all point to such principles as honesty, morality, unity and honour. And Integrity is what I and every other true artisan bring to our creative pursuits – to make our CRAFT be unequivocally classified as ART.
There are opponents of this view who insist that true ART is painting, drawings, music, dance, poetry, sculpture — even architecture and languages can be accommodated under this ‘umbrella’. All forms are apparently believed to require and utilise a higher level of skill and artistry than CRAFT.
Others speak of aesthetics and skilful creation; ‘internal appreciation of balance and harmony’; mastery of a medium; communication and imaginative expression; ‘a class of objects subject to aesthetic criteria’; and from ancient times, having ritualistic and symbolic functions and meanings.
The suggestion appears to be that these ideals apply only to ART… not CRAFT.
When any craftsperson brings the highest degree of dedication, integrity and commitment to their work, together with skill and attention to detail in each creative pursuit… this is surely the hallmark of artisanship.
I find nothing in the criteria suggested for the creation of ART to be anything less than one should demand in the creation of a CRAFT item. Every descriptive definition seems to epitomize the highest ideals of dedicated craft workers.
For me — CRAFT is ART— there is simply no question to debate.
Everyone is entitled to their own personal opinion. SO… what do YOU think now?
Is it Really ART?
