[Art-is INDEX]  [Syllabus]
Art-is: Craft?
See also:  [Art Materials]
           [Art Technique]
           [Art Terms]
           [Art THINGS] (sort of a catch-all)

          -[The Portfolio]-
 
On this page:  {What IS Craft?}
                      
                       


What IS Craft?
Part of the problem arrises from the fact that we get our 
concept of "art" and "craft" (or at least the words) from
a couple of sources:

    Art - Most everyone has seen the "logo" for MGM Films
          "Ars gratis artis" (Latin for "Art for art's sake).

    Craft - From the German "Kraft" meaning "Power".

    Technology/Tech - From the Greek for "technique".

First we must recall Jane Turner (editor in Chief of 
the massive "Dictionary of Art") who tells us that
"we have made no distinction between art and craft"
-- nor should we. But. We still do, don't we.

Next we must recall the ancient Egyptian Hieroglphic
paradigm:

          There is no craft that can not be mastered.
          Yet, there is no one who is treuly 
               the master of any craft.

So, let us begin...

As children we are provided with crayons and paper and
we pick them up and be. We don't think anything of it
(very small children are less predjudiced and in keeping
with their nature, try eating the paper and crayons). 
But, as "sophisticated" children, we begin drawing on
the paper -- only one side. Carefully orienting the 
paper LANDSCAPE. Now, how did THAT happen?

We now remember the modern classical guitarist composer
Juan Ramon Jimenez:

   If the give you paper with lines,
   the the paper sideways and write across the lines.


Begin again...

So, if we take a piece of vanilla craft paper, draw a
design on it with crayons and then cut out long strips 
of paper (say about 11" long by 1/2" wide (30cm x 1 cm) 
and then "weave" them into a place mat:  Lo: Craft!!

But.

Say, i take a piece of Canson Stonehinge paper, and paint
on it (say with Aquerrel water colours) and then when dry,
i use an X-acto knife to cut long, thin tendrals of paper.
If instead of weaving them, i glue the tendrals to a 
backing board; ie, a "matrix" of design board which i have
previously prepared -- possibly (hope-fully) with no thought
of using it in this manner. The finished work is hung on
the wall. Lo: Art!!

Experiment:  Try making several craft vs art works in the
             traditional manner; ie, use "kid quality" 
materials to make "kid-like" art (craft) as closely as 
possible to what a "kid" would do and use "aritst quality"
materials to make "artist-like" crafts (art) as closely as
possilbe to what an "artist" would do.

Then reverse as many variables as possible.  

Possible ideas:

   Maximal vs Minimal
   Miss-use of materials
   Compatability vs Juxtapostion
   Monotic (is there such a word???) vs Dyptic  vs Tryptic vs ...
   Experiment with 2+, 3, 4, and x dimensions

Critique!!!
   Show
   Talk
   Ask
   (or not)