Art vs. Craft

[untonuggan]

I have always wondered about what seems to me to be an artificial distinction between art and craft. The societal narrative seems to go, "Serious artists make art, but crafts are for those homemakers who shop at Michael's every week." (Note: not that I think being a homemaker or shopping at Michael's are bad things.) Or perhaps it's because so many "crafts" (knitting, quilting, crochet, sewing, etc.) are traditionally done by women. Never mind that when you're done knitting a scarf, not only is it beautiful, it keeps you warm. It's wearable art.

I offer a brief example from a recent Washington Post review of Artomatic, a local unjuried art show.

"And Kristin Bohlander's use of sheep's wool - more sculptural than artsy-craftsy - is richly textural."

I love how the author throws in "artsy-craftsy" as though it's a bad thing. Of course, he also knocks Star Trek slash fan-art a few paragraphs later.

Does anyone else have this particular beef with knitting's typical designation as a craft? Is the word "craft" something that should be reclaimed in the way that "queer" is being reclaimed by the LGBTQ community? What is the line between art and craft?

Comments

[anatsuno]

"My personal idiosyncratic definition is that "art" refers to the aspect of creation that is intuitive, creative, and original, and "craft" refers to the aspect of creation that depends on technical skill. So, Marcel Duchamp can put a urinal in an art museum and call it art, but there is absolutely no element of craftsmanship involved; and a novel can be well-crafted without being artful. A painting may be art, but the same painting would be a craft if sold in a kit as paint-by-numbers."

This is so clearly and eloquently put! And matches my understanding as well. Thank you. :)