Trevor, I may have gotten it wrong but the impression I am getting from your and some of the other's comments is that the art gets better as the crafting gets better. I presume you are not just talking about how "realistic" an artist is able to render something is a measure of great artistic merritt, as so many often do. The craft skill of well thought of artists throughout time varies from nil to mind-boggling. i.e. Picasso was one of the finest draftsmen and Warhol apparently didn't have any craft skills. BTW it seems to me those who protest that both were just fooling everyone are the greatest admirers of over-the-top realism. Certainly you have seen very moving and effective rough-crafted art work. And you have no doubt seen highly crafted and wondrous things that do not rise above the "gooooolyyyy!" response. I saw a show Sunday of the former type that was one of the best I've seen in months. The artist, I was told, didn't like the term "outsider art" and I sure wouldn't dare call it naive (which simply means "didn't go to school") . The artist is quite old and has seen a few things. He's self taught, knows what he wants to do with the materials he uses for his constructions and mixed-media painting and is still trying new ideas. AZ Build a Lookaround! The Lookaround Book, 2nd ed. NOW SHIPPING http://www.panoramacamera.us > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: Re: My thoughts about art&craft (RE: PF Galleries on 05 FEB > 05) > From: "trevor cunningham" <tr_cunningham@xxxxxxxxx> > Date: Mon, February 07, 2005 1:45 am > To: "List for Photo/Imaging Educators - Professionals - Students" > <photoforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > > Ted Williams said it best, "The hardest thing to do in sports is hit a round ball with a round stick." Swinging a bat could fall into the craft category in that the technique can be taught, the timing can be taught, the stance can be taught...but the odds that you'll be like Ted Williams at the plate are slim to none. > > I had a roomate in Oregon who made some of the most unusual/amazing furniture I'd ever seen...I think I've mentioned him before. Anyway, his craftsmanship was flawless when it came to wood. I made the mistake of calling him a carpenter one day, whereupon, I was corrected that he was an artist whose current medium happened to be wood. > > Crafts on the other hand is skillful implementation of something. Crafts can > be taught, crafts result in pleasant and functional items (both tangible and > intangible). > > I fully disagree. My father was a carpenter. He and his brothers and my brother have built homes. I can saw, nail, hell, I might even be able to frame if given the chance. But I could never be taught to do what this man can do with a set of tools. Art is the final product, craft is the process that is practiced to produce the art. > > > > > > "The optimist believes this is the best of all possible worlds. > The pessimist fears it's true" - J Robert Oppenheimer > > http://www.geocities.com/tr_cunningham > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com
