An interesting concept

I think things are moving more in the direction now of people realising that the distinction between art and craft is less defined - and I think that’s a very good thing. I think various influences in culture and society meant that at various times art was seen as a more rarified and noble thing than craft - but I think now people have a more nuanced view about that. Look at the way Bernard Leach is viewed as a potter, and the way folk art is now viewed as of real value artistically. I think this is real progress as I think the distinctions between any form of art aren’t really necessary- it’s all creative expression ultimately - in whatever form it manifests. 

Very well put Kate. My knee-jerk reaction to the original post was along the lines of “but art is difficult and craft is easy”, and in my world that is in part true but your comment is making me think more deeply about this.

I collect works of art by contemporary artists, semi-abstract mixed media on industrial themes my preference but Im not snobby in my collecting as Ive carved drift wood, pottery of various kinds, a framed button art tree, found art such as fossils, wooden objects of various sorts, bricks and bits of concrete!

And thinking further my definition of difficult is probably that I can’t do it, which says a lot about me and nothing about the value of the created objects. My own creativity (the something difficult) is I would generally say writing in various forms, but for relaxation and health (the something easy) I make patterns out of objects like tools, boxes, stones, then snap them on my iphone, print and arrange into montages. It satisfies my autistic need for pattern and order. 

Alice

Very well put Kate. My knee-jerk reaction to the original post was along the lines of “but art is difficult and craft is easy”, and in my world that is in part true but your comment is making me think more deeply about this.

I collect works of art by contemporary artists, semi-abstract mixed media on industrial themes my preference but Im not snobby in my collecting as Ive carved drift wood, pottery of various kinds, a framed button art tree, found art such as fossils, wooden objects of various sorts, bricks and bits of concrete!

And thinking further my definition of difficult is probably that I can’t do it, which says a lot about me and nothing about the value of the created objects. My own creativity (the something difficult) is I would generally say writing in various forms, but for relaxation and health (the something easy) I make patterns out of objects like tools, boxes, stones, then snap them on my iphone, print and arrange into montages. It satisfies my autistic need for pattern and order. 

Alice

Thanks Alice. Yes - my house is full of all sorts of found objects likes stones and shells, bits of wood, collage, paintings, old printing blocks, bits of ceramic, all sorts of stuff I’ve found or bought over the years - and I don’t see any difference in terms of my appreciation between a nice pebble I might find on a beach and a work of art - they’re just visual and tactile things that I enjoy and find interesting. I don’t much like the ‘high art’ /contemporary art world because I think a lot of it is about status and financial investment - and I think that’s quite a distortion of the best aspects of human creativity and self expression. Like you I enjoy painting and making things in various ways - just because I enjoy it. I really like the Arts and Crafts movement - because it does mix what’s viewed as Art and as Craft, and they also had some very admirable socialist and egalitarian views that believed in having respect for people that make things that were previously undervalued- and also in making beautiful things accessible to all. I managed to buy a little Newlyn copper vase from an antiques fair a couple of years ago and it’s one of my favourite things. It’s got fish on it.