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Fine Art Crafts
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My art practice includes both two-dimensional and three-dimensional work, some of which I make for the sole purpose of communicating visually (2-D), and some of which I make as utilitarian art (3-D). I refer to my two-dimensional work as “art” and my three-dimensional work as “craft.”
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I find both contrast and balance in these places when building my art projects. From a visual perspective, my two-dimensional art is perceived in a different way from a piece of furniture or craft that I make. If an art form is functional, it is seen for its functionality before its aesthetic value. It is quite the opposite with my 2-D art, which has no utilitarian function but rather a cultural significance and aesthetic value. |
Oil lamps |
Stained Glass |
Both craft and art can be beautiful and hold that same value, yet one is seen in a very different light than the other. Below I discuss and compare the differences and the reasoning behind my work. Some think that crafting is done by bored housewives and knitting clubs and that it does not hold the same value as art or fine art. I do agree that following a pattern that someone else has designed is not the same as being the originator of the design. Designing is where the artistry comes in and mixes to make craft specialized in a similar way as fine art.
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Bird Houses
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Candle House
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As a diversion to the computer work that I do, I like to craft things from wood, glass, stone, and other organic materials. Perhaps it is not a diversion but rather an extension of my art practice with a very different process. Working with my hands and building crafts is a great step away from the technical digital work that I do. It helps me to relax and slow down because it is such a tactile method of creating. When I travel, I buy things from the different regions with the idea of incorporating those materials into unique hand-crafted objects. I am still very detailed in the way I construct the crafts and furniture that I make, maintaining a clean exterior by avoiding the use of nails and using joining biscuits instead. I can only speculate on why these details mean something to me. I appreciate this in other art forms as well as my own. In my mind it is the finishing touch. It separates the men from the boys, so to speak. I feel that the details and expert building of any art holds more value than what someone says about the art. |
Clock
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Wall Mural / Collage
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The furniture designs and constructions that I produce satisfy me in the same way as when I make crafts. I have asked myself, Is this work art, or is it design? I just refer to it as design. Does its usefulness make it design and not art? I suppose my furniture could be considered art, but I see it as design perhaps because of its functionality. It doesn’t matter to me what it is called. There is a huge section in the Museum of Modern Art for designs. Everything from chairs to blenders is on display there, depicting how designs have changed over the years. I believe my craft and furniture pieces are designs and should hold the same value as art but with different meanings. In the mid-1800s, when photography came onto the scene, it was considered to be something less than art because of its practical nature. A photograph is made by a machine and is easily reproducible. I suppose my furniture could be considered art because I make only one of each design and each piece is made by hand. But with that thinking my photographs would not be art because I can make several of those. |
Adirondack Tissue Holder |
Boxes
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When I design a piece of furniture or craft, the process is different from when I make a photograph or a painting. For the most part I see the end design idea. In comparison, I work from intuition and impulse toward the end design with my images and paintings. Furniture and craft are technical exercises for the most part. I need to buy wood and other hardware to create the end product, so seeing the end piece with measurements and details is important. I first write the idea down in a sketch. Then I think about what tools I will need to build the project. As I move through the construction process, my ideas develop and sometimes change. The end product ideas may change depending on what helps or changes the function of the piece. |
Magnetic Spoon Holder
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There is a cooperative balance between artist and technician in me. There is also a significant tension between the technician and the artist. At some point when I am creating something using the techniques I know I find a place of peace with it. The technician serves the artist and is used as a means to an end. I don’t think that the artist is ever the leader in my reality. At this stage in my career I use multiple techniques to get out whatever message I am trying to communicate, in whatever form is necessary if I start from the idea position. This means that I will use whatever technique works to get the message out. If it is design and craft, fine; if it is photography, that is okay also. |
I also design and build furniture which can be seen at: Furniture Design.
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