Working in textiles, the designation of craft vs. art has meaning in my work: to take a delicate hand craft and go BIG. Up until now, I believed that the difference between art and craft was the handling of mistakes. In art, a mistake is an invitation to an adventure - to the object being created taking its own life. I believed that in craft, perfection was the goal. In art, mistakes are seen as opportunities for the creator to force the piece into what was intended.
Then I thought the dynamic of art and craft was like feelings and emotions. In an article in the Epoch Times, feelings are described as being in the body, while emotions are what happens when the brain processes those feelings. Maybe art was something felt in the body, and craft was what happens when the brain processes it.
Serra described art as objects that have no purpose - thus assigning architecture out of the realm of art. Does this put craft in the realm of architecture?
I believe that art is an expression of the soul. When art is experienced, the soul engages. But where does this leave craft? In the realm of our physical world? never able to touch our soul?
One of the special things about the Covid era is ZOOM studio visits.
Yesterday, I watched a studio visit with Kimberly Camp. Ms. Camp creates paintings and dolls. This studio visit focused on her doll practice. She uses her intuition and desire for fun to guide her in making one of a kind dolls that reference individuality, culture, myth, identity.
At the end of her lecture (hosted by Peter’s Valley School of Craft), Ms. Camp was asked what she thought was the difference between Art and Craft. Her answer was one I haven’t heard before.
Ms. Camps response was the best I have heard to date.
“The separation between art and craft is a relic of white supremacy”
Damn. She’s right.
It is the need to make one higher, better, more valuable over the other that drives the question.
When you look at my work. Do you see the Craft? Do you see the Art? Is it important to make the distinction?
It’s time to take a hard look at why we believe we need a division of these two.