What is Craft?

Craft can be classified as artisan works, often it is small scale productions, I think crafted items can be distinguished from manufactured ones by their imperfections. There are small, unsymmetrical flaws in a handmade composition that make it more interesting or stylized.

Art for most of history was an handcrafted but anonymous profession. Most involved in production would not receive credit. These anonymous craftspeople in guilds would also be taught artistic traditions to ensure skills and techniques continued into further generations. Although the industrial revolution also decreased the need for craft, in the Italian Renaissance many affluent patrons began to commission work from famous artists instead, similar to brand name products currently.

Many famous artists at the time were involved in mediums such as painting and architecture. This led to other methods, namely craft production of carving, metalsmithing or pottery and so on, being seen as less desirable in the west. The separation of craft from art as inherently good or bad overlooks a broader world perspective on what art can be.

 

Works Cited

https://mailchi.mp/8dbc9579fc65/r80jzmy8xm-2946297?e=c070a5f1d9

https://smarthistory.org/is-there-a-difference-between-art-and-craft/