Is it Art or Craft

[Russell]

Some discussion at my local club about woodturning art and craft, most centred on the fact that art needed more than just woodturning and so wasn't wood turning in many peoples eyes what's thoughts. I have included some pictures of my "Art" to give some examples


click on image for larger view







The most of the above are all added to or altered after turning except the mallee Burr I consider them all art. David Ellsworth who's work is widely regarded does not add to or alter much of his work but I also consider this to be art one of his pieces below to illustrate

edited to reduce image sizes

 

[PowerTool]

Interesting items,Russel - the "art or craft" issue was discussed in Woodturning magazine recently (i.e. would you show it off in an art gallery,or try to sell it at a craft fair?) - personally,I can appreciate the time and skill that goes into "arty" pieces,but prefer "craft" items.
However,it wouldn't do if we all liked the same thing - there would never be anything new,would there ? :wink:

Andrew

 

[Anonymous]

beautiful :shock:

 

[CHJ]

I think it is a case of Craft becomes Art, whatever; it is a talent worthy of expression Russell.

Does Art take over from Craft when an item takes on a predominantly display roll?

 

[dedee]

Perhaps art like beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

A pile of bricks, a dead calf, an unmade bed or a pieces of wood spun at high speed and shaped by hand to make interesting, tactile and pleasing forms. I now which I would call art and I know which I would pay money to see.

Whatever you choose to call your work Russel it is excellent, to my eyes!

Andy

 

[Russell]

I think wood turning is a skilled craft, what is produced however is to me are items that are functional such as a fruit bowl and no functional such as a gallery piece. I was in Belgium recently in the chocolate museum on display were some very ornate turned chocolate stirrers. They were artistic pieces created with lots of ornate decoration but they were functional as well.

I do not believe that where its sold makes a difference comes down to perception by the craftsman/woman who made it and the person who buys it and to what use they put it.

I have seen some fabulous work discarded and under heaps of paper in peoples houses because they think the work can't be art because they are not and artist.

 

[Anonymous]

...A pile of bricks, a dead calf, an unmade bed ...

or posh ducting made into a helter skelter :lol:

In this day and age anything can be termed 'art'

In woodturning the difference between art and craft is usually the number of 0's in the price :wink:

 

[Wanlock Dod]

Russel,

I think that there is a lot that goes way beyond wood turning in your pieces. In my opinion it is art that uses wood turning as an element (I'm sure you didn't turn the crown of thorns thing).

Excellent stuff.

Cheers,

Dod

 

[Russell]

Every part of the "crown of thorns" was turned

The Mallee burr was mounted on a screw chuck and turned from the chuck side to face off the edges and create a ring that was used as a reference to centre the piece. The face wings were then finished. The burr is then removed from the screw chuck turned around and placed in a cradle chuck. This has a ring that clamps down on to the work piece and high density neoprene rubber behind the work. I used a ring to centre the work on the reference ring I turned on the piece. When centred an level I then turned the middle out. The skis are made from a continuous ring turned in walnut and the rails from ebony turned to 6mm diameter. The whole thing was then assembled.

I will add a photo of the cradle chuck I made in the tomorrow