When does a piece of work become craft?

[robingirl]

Hello,
I am currently a B A (HONS) in Art & Design student and I am writting my dissertation and I would be very grateful for any help?
My dissertation is on "When does soemthing become craft? or Art?
If any one can answer my question please do.
Many thanks
Robingirl.

[caketopper]

If I answered it do I get the degree?

[icecreamgirl]

Or....
If we answer it and you fail, will you sue us????:D

[sunbatheintheshade]

sounds complicated - i did a degree that sounds very similar....although - are they not the same thing....personally i would take the approach of, you work hard at both, research both, experiement with different materials for maximum effect...both are finished with no right or wrong, which for me is art! maybe a craft can be wrong!?!?!?!!?

does that make sence or am i babbling on! i think i get what i mean...if you dont then email me...ahahahahahahaha!!!!!

sorry for being rubbish with words/english im an artist not a literate!!!!
ha
:sm:

[woodtattoos]

How about this...

Crafters spend hours working over something and the financial gain is minimal, whereas artists wake up and go "Dammit, I'll just put my bed in the gallery" and make a mint?

;) :D ;)

That's actually quite tongue in cheek, please don't take me seriously.

The dictionary definition for "art" uses the word "craft", and vice versa. I would suggest that the main difference is down to...

(a) the perception of the viewer
(b) the surroundings that the item is found in
(c) the price tag attached and subsequent inherent value psychologically linked to it
(d) the role of a 'use' or purpose for the creation, perhaps considered against something that is only aesthetic or decorative with no function.
(e) the social background that the item is placed in.

Take this for example... Swirly's chickens on a craft stand priced at £10 each.

Or an internationally renowned gallery full of Swirly's chickens looking down a large crack in the floor, priced at several million pounds.

And I didn't even mention chopping one of Swirly's chickens in half and pickling it in two tanks of formaldehyde...

Sounds like my degree all over again now... :sm:

[swirlyarts]

Or an internationally renowned gallery full of Swirly's chickens looking down a large crack in the floor, priced at several million pounds.

And I didn't even mention chopping one of Swirly's chickens in half and pickling it in two tanks of formaldehyde...

Sounds like my degree all over again now... :sm:

Hee hee - Swirly scuttles off to find the nearest gallery with a crack in the floor ;)

[woodtattoos]

Hee hee - Swirly scuttles off to find the nearest gallery with a crack in the floor ;)

"Oh, no!" - woodtattoos runs off after Swirly as he sees her brandishing a pneumatic drill in the Tate Modern foyer...

[Peter]

I'm going to stick my neck out here, having done both sides of the art/ craft coin, but do you think maybe as 'crafters' we might have left a slightly bitter taste in the inquiring mind of a student who only wanted a bit of helpful dialogue? :confused:

[Random Hippy]

I think it's all about the viewer's perception. Anything can be called and an art or craft if the person looking at it is moved to appreciate it. But by the same token, something that was made as a piece of art or craftwork but is not appreciated, may be considered junk.

RH

[woodtattoos]

I'm going to stick my neck out here, having done both sides of the art/ craft coin, but do you think maybe as 'crafters' we might have left a slightly bitter taste in the inquiring mind of a student who only wanted a bit of helpful dialogue? :confused:

I hope no-one thinks I did! A little tongue in cheek at first but I'm sure that I was offering a valid discussion and example to illustrate my point. I've also done both sides of the art/craft coin as you call it.

Si.

[Apple Tree Crafts]

Hi Robingirl,

I was told by Dawson Murray (Lisa might remember him from Boclair...) that 'art is aesthetically beautiful and craft is functional' And that 'crafts are something to seperate the plebs from the artists. True artists are born, but anyone can be a crafter'

I think this was because he loathed me. He, of course was an Artist, I am merely a crafter. I never saw the point of non-functional art at school and I still came away with my Higher (Scottish A Level)

Ah the Poison Dwarf...how he hated me. And I lived to wind him up. Such is the cruel fate of secondary school art teachers....

And I've not got my tongue in my cheek, it might be poor but I hope it helps,

Jules

[candles by lisa]

Hi Robingirl,

I was told by Dawson Murray (Lisa might remember him from Boclair...) that 'art is aesthetically beautiful and craft is functional' And that 'crafts are something to seperate the plebs from the artists. True artists are born, but anyone can be a crafter'



I certainly do remember him but thankfully I never had him as a teacher I had Mr Watson and then the infamous Mr Mackie (do you remember that story Jules).

The craft/art difference is a hard one because it is down to the individual I think what one person might see as art another one might see as craft and vice versa!

Cheers.

Lisa

[Apple Tree Crafts]

I certainly do remember him but thankfully I never had him as a teacher I had Mr Watson and then the infamous Mr Mackie (do you remember that story Jules).

The craft/art difference is a hard one because it is down to the individual I think what one person might see as art another one might see as craft and vice versa!

Cheers.

Lisa

I do remember that. What happened between them? Did they ever get married? Nowadays he'd have been sacked. They made a lovely looking couple, and both very talented.

Mr Watson was ok..I still have a 1" scar across my wrist inflicted by him - never try to attract a pupil's attention with a lino-cutting scalpel in your hand...!!

Jules

[candles by lisa]

Don't think they ever got married - Conner has Mr Mackie for Art and at last parents evening I told him who I was and what class I had been in - you could literally see the colour draining from his face when he put two and two together and realised what year I had been in!!!

You are right - he is still quite a nice looking man for his age though!! God I really hope he never joins this forum!!!

Hehe.

Lisa

:mf:

[Apple Tree Crafts]

Don't think they ever got married - Conner has Mr Mackie for Art and at last parents evening I told him who I was and what class I had been in - you could literally see the colour draining from his face when he put two and two together and realised what year I had been in!!!

You are right - he is still quite a nice looking man for his age though!! God I really hope he never joins this forum!!!

Hehe.

Lisa

:mf:

Sorry Robingirl, we've kinda hijacked your thread. Maybe a mod will move us to the living room....

Is Mr Mackie still there? I'm amazed. I can't mind the girl's name, but I know she was a few years ahead of me. Was it something like Margaret-Anne? I can see her face. She was a talented artist and a great musician because she stood next to me in the choir. I once saw her busking in Buchanan Street.

Jules

[colourart]

I thought I'd better have a go at answering this as I paint but I'd don't consider myself to be an producing 'art', more something decorative therefore crafting.

I think that 'art' has become more about the meaning of a piece and not so much the content. Perhaps this was not so much the case hundreds of years ago, but moreso these days when artists are searching for something new. This is just my opinion but for me craft is about producing one off items which are produced by hand, crafts do have a function in many cases, but I think this function can be decorative or useful. Lets face it no-one would want an 'Unmade bed' or 'Half a cow in Formaldehyde' in their home - would they?, but they may like a vase or textile wall hanging, more beautiful but not necessarily considered art. I don't think craft has to be justified like art, it doesn't have to have 'meaning'

This is such a complex issue, I wish you luck with your dissertation but I suspect you may not find an absolute answer.

[woodtattoos]

Lets face it no-one would want an 'Unmade bed' or 'Half a cow in Formaldehyde' in their home - would they?,

Unmade beds? Erm, probably got 3 at the moment if the boys were in a rush for school... perhaps I should phone the Tate now.

Let me think about the "half a Cow" before I commit myself either way...

Si.

:D