Janet Kaiser on wed 11 sep 02
What complete phooey! Name us one if you please!
From a crocheted toilet roll cover to a suspension bridge, every expression
of human endeavour or application resulting in a product includes some
"art". It may not be to our taste or appeal to our concept of what is
"good", but it is still Art.
Art is simply "human creative skill or its application" and the Arts are
"branches of creative activity concerned with the production of imaginative
designs, sounds or ideas, e.g. painting, music, writing". Furthermore art
is the "creative activity resulting in representation" and is a "human
skill as opposed to nature". Art is a "skill or a knack" but can also be a
"cunning trick or stratagem".
What is confusing people is their own concept of "the Arts" (plural) which
are "supposedly creative subjects (esp. languages, literature, and history)
as opposed to scientific, technical or vocational subjects".
It is interesting to note that one little word "supposedly" within this
definition taken straight from the Oxford pocket dictionary.
This confusion does not mean that crafts are devoid of art, especially as
art may be a skill or knack and by definition (above) they are an art in
their own right. Craft is creative activity at its most active and
accomplished stage. Do not forget that drawing or any other manual skill
you care to mention is a craft. Until the craft is learned, there can be no
expression of any art!!
Furthermore "craft" is a "special skill or technique" or "occupation
needing this". So the potter as someone who develops a special skill or
technique AND (especially as a studio potter) who is continually expressing
"human creative skill or its application" so must surely be the Ultimate
Artist.
There is a pervading presumption that the (creative) arts are somehow
superior to crafts which supposedly do not employ creativity, but this does
not hold water in any way, shape or form when talking about individual
potters at the beginning of the 21st century.
The QUALITY of what is art or craft is completely secondary in this
context, but I have the impression that it is also colouring what people
are categorising as "art" or "craft". The serial, repetitive production of
a piece somehow diminishes the claim to being an art? I think not!
Janet Kaiser
The Chapel of Art =95 Capel Celfyddyd
8 Marine Crescent, Criccieth LL52 0EA, Wales, UK
Tel: 01766-523570 URL: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
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