Art vs Craft
Historically, craft has been treated not as a subset of art but as a category almost entirely separate. The label of “arts and crafts” itself constructs a fundamental difference between the two. According to the Oxford Dictionary, art in its most popular usage is “the expression or application of creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting, drawing, or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.” Compare this to the definition of craft, as “any activity involving making things by hand or by means of traditional techniques … (such as knitting, quilting, jewelry-making, etc.) carried out on a small-scale basis or as a hobby or pastime and often producing practical or decorative items for use in the home.”
Upon pondering on these two definitions, questions arose: Why is each category married to specific mediums? Why is there no mention of creativity or imagination within craft? Craft is not an offensive term, but when separated from art as a concept, it’s connoted as a lesser form, unworthy of the respect and prestige of fine art. These small, differences between the two don’t just exist in the pages of dictionaries, but rather reflect biases within the art world that may limit our expressions today.
Arts and Crafts are not scientific specifications but mere social constructs, and like most social constructs were created by the people in power to suit their ideals. Let us take the example of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo famously painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and since that day, the painting has been hallmarked as a pinnacle of art. While I would never disagree, I just bother to ask why the Sistine Chapel is never given the same stature. The Apostolic Palace, in which the Sistine Chapel is located, is filled with intricate designs that adorn the walls, the pillars, the windows, and even the windowsills. The exterior of the palace is covered in marble etched with ornate designs that guide the viewers’ eyes towards the dome. All these would be termed craft, while the term art is reserved for the painting on the ceiling. Is this because it was easier to restrict the viewership of the painting while any common man could gaze upon the dome? In my opinion, these intricate designs deserve the same stature as Michelangelo’s paintings and those unremembered artists should be equally celebrated.
To showcase how society projects a certain craft as Art, let us turn our ears toward music. While Jazz has all the scientific qualifications to be termed Classical music, it never gets that recognition because of its roots. Similar is the case of the musical genius Illayaraja. To those who are hearing about Illayaraja for the first time, let me have the privilege to introduce you to this maestro. Illayaraja is a musical composer from Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India, who combined the melody of traditional Indian Carnatic music and combined it with the Harmony structure present in Western Classical music. He revolutionized music in Indian movies and has composed music for over 1000 movies. While his accomplishments stand tall, he does not get recognized by the Carnatic classical music space because of access. The Carnatic music culture prides itself on restricted or difficult access, similar to the Western Classical music culture. Operating within the Indian movie industry ensures easy access to Ilayaraja’s music. This irks the status quo. Carnatic singers who collaborated with Illayaraja were vilified for dirtying the sanctity of Carnatic music. Today, Ilayaraja’s reach and influence far extend the ones garnered by the small Carnatic music scene. While singers are no longer vilified for participating in cinema music, the high priests of Carnatic music still refuse to get off their high horse and accept the greatness of cinema music. My lesson from learning this history has been that the definition of Art has always been a political one.
How would I then define Art and Craft?
To refurbish a quote from Bastiat and Amit Varma, the best podcaster of our time, - The seen is the Craft the Unseen is the Art. I would like to define this in the journey of an Engineer. In the ideal world, any Engineer would have started as a mechanic aka the craftsman. As a mechanic, they would understand the tools, the processes, and the machines. With practice, they would eventually be able to take steps away from the machine and finally be able to design new machines. This new avatar of the mechanic would be called an engineer aka the artist. This is what I think is the lifecycle of craft and art. All great artists would start by identifying, understanding, and mastering their craft. And slowly through second and third-order thinking, they turn themselves into artists. The same principle could be applied to cooking. The basic craft is the same for all cooks. The ingredients interact with heat the same way irrespective of the cook. A chef would have to master the craft and then be able to distance themselves from it to create the artful dishes that they serve.
What is Art?
Considering all of this information, I come back to the same philosophical question: “What is Art?” Is it worth it for me to continue creating if it’s just a silly craft and not a respected art? Why do I want my work to be considered art? There is vanity in wanting to be seen as an artist, and I shouldn’t rely on such approval to continue crafting. But when art represents the upper echelons of what is respected in creative spaces, it is hard for me to resist its appeal. Perhaps I’m grappling with another difference in connotation between art and craft: the quality. Fine art implies excellence and mastery, whereas craft is more achievable and common. Everyone can make a craft, but only a genius can produce art. I struggle with this internal battle between the enjoyment of using my hands to create and the ever-looming possibility of wasting time on a project that may be trashed at completion. So, I have decided to not chase the monicker of Artist but instead identify with the tag Creator. I create and that cannot be questioned. What I create sparks joy in me and hopefully in others. There may be a small group that considers my creations as art and to those I am thankful. The answer to the question “What is Art?” should be a personal one and not a political one.