Arts VS. Crafts

As long as I am on a role,

I have noticed that there is a general lack of knowledge about the difference between art and crafts. Art is a creative process that can take many forms: paint, music, sculptor, film, architecture, photography, ect. They exists simply for the sake of existing and commenting on environment or the human condition. Most would say to bring beauty to the world but the real purpose is to express a sentiment of any variety. Some do have a function such as visual stimulus in graphic design, or the creation of a stable environment in architecture but that adds to the art. Art is the act of discovery.  

Crafts fulfill a different purpose and process. Crafts are generally not original nor do the exist for the sake of existing, we would call that clutter. Crafts do exists to be ornamental but that still having a purpose. Crafting is a skill that can be honed and perfected. Crafts include: pinterest ideas, scrapbooking, diy, quilting, decopodging, ect. 

The distinction in crafting and artistry is important. Artist have a harder job in the originality department. Crafting can involve more complexity in materials than the arts. Generally, crafters do not have to make their materials. They go to the store and buy paper and glue and ribbons or whatever and ASSEMBLE something. Artist may go to the store and but paint but no one told them where to put each stroke or which color to use.   Good art is hard to come by and good crafts are a dime a dozen. 

However, there is a sometimes hazy line between art and a craft. If I gather materials and assemble them based on how I think they should be combined is that a craft or a sculpture? Well it would depend. If the materials were paper lanterns, cardstock printed butterflies, and fishing line that I hot glued together to form a fluttering explosion of wings then it's a craft. I didn't change any medium to form something new. I simply arranged it in a pleasing fashion. If I gathered rice paper, wire, tissue paper, fishing line, and glue then asked myself "What should I make with this materials? And what should it mean?" then fashioned butterflies from long squares of tissue paper, each unique, and wound the wire into circles and covered them with rice paper then strung it all together to result in a burst of flying insects that were racing toward the light that would be a sculpture. 


Here are some examples.

art:

 Guggenheim, Bilbao, Spain

http://whyevolutionistrue.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/02-guggenheim-museum-bilbao-spain-1.jpg?w=1024



 
Leandro ERLICH, "the Swimming Pool"
The artist created this pool with glass and paint and only ten cm of water above. It can be viewed from above and below.
http://www.kanazawa21.jp/file.php?g=30&d=7&n=mainimage&gp=&lng=e&p=1



by the artists CLAMP
http://gallery.funonthenet.in/42657-3/SERIES+Card+Captor+Sakura+-Artist+CLAMP.jpg


Yayoi Kusama: Dots on a canvas
http://www.roslynoxley9.com.au/artists/49/Yayoi_Kusama/432/44167/

crafts:


http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-make-a-chrysanthemum-mirror-from-spoons-addicted-2-decorating--170879
Mirror frame made of spoons, spray painted.


Scrapbook collage
http://0.tqn.com/d/scrapbooking/1/4/j/r/cruisekitlayout3.jpg



Button Monogram created but gluing fabic to canvas and buttons on top.
http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/121245414937641964_rH7WlCSM_c.jpg


In the Gray:


Sand bowl made with sand and glue. I couldn't tell you if that was art or a craft. What do you think?
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/18306/sand-bowls-by-leetal-rivlin.html



Crayon Painting
Is this crafting or artistry?
http://cdn.instructables.com/FLB/VGYL/GS3BCQ65/FLBVGYLGS3BCQ65.LARGE.jpg


I'm pretty sure this is a craft but I could see it passing for art. What says you?
http://www.dillydaliart.com/2012/04/rainbow-pour-painting-on-terra-cotta.html



Tell me what you think!