Art and Fine Craft dissimilarity

Hi Ed!
Your thoughts identify some of the gray areas that make this
discussion never ending.

I agree that a song is still art, no matter how many times its
played. Your Moby Dick example was also excellent. I could add to
that a ceramicist who makes the same vase, (without using a form or
mold)…the design is the same but each piece is generally
considered art.

In my own opinion, and in my experience the general opinion, is that
I can create a series of chairs, for example, that are similar. Each
one is “art”. However, if I worked cabinetry, figured out a standard
design and cut all the pieces to the same dimensions…that is not
art. It could, however, still be considered Fine Craft (by the true
definition ceramics, jewelry and wood all fall into the category
of “Fine Craft” not “Fine Art”) The gray area comes into play when
you try to define what an artist’s “style” is, what a “series” is
etc. If I always make ladder back chairs…is that part of my
style..am I working on a series or am I simply repeating myself?
This is the gray area.

I also wanted to clarify one point. I did NOT mean that an artist
has to have a name for the work to have value. Nor do I think you
have to have sales to have value. I know of a few people who refuse
to sell their work…to anyone (that in and of itself has created
quite a demand).

The Statements I made with regard to establishing a vitae and a name
were ONLY relative to marketing your work. There is a lot of
really, REALLY good art created by unknown artists. A name does NOT
mean the work is good. It means you are good at marketing yourself.

I personally like going to the dentist more than the marketing part
(hence, I am the only person in the free world without a
website…that’s a new year’s resolution to finally ‘cave in’ and
get a website) I only do as much as I have to (which is really bad,
I suppose)

Lastly, I want to state again that these are just my thoughts and I
know that we are addressing areas in which there are varying, strong
opinions. I can only state what I’ve learned thru my experiences and
been taught.

Best regards,
amy

MoMA has a fur-covered tea cup and saucer that I just don’t get….I
have wondered and wondered about the artistic value in that thing
and I’ve even questioned myself ….maybe I must force myself to see why it is in one of the world’s best
museums (coincidentally, it is somewhere near Warhol’s Marilyn
Monroe piece…..or was about 4 years ago)

I wanted to mention a movie…. “How to Draw a Bunny” it is a
documentary about Ray Johnson (the best unknown artist in
America….he was friends with Warhol and Lichtenstein (SP??)
Anyway the movie is EXCELLENT. Johson did the postal art in the
70’s.

Article by Amy Alansburg posted at Monochrome yahoogroups on 02 Jan 2005 – (I was the moderator Oruc Yildirim)

Mrs Amy Alansburg please contact me if you are ok for posting your valuable thoughts – Thanks