Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Craft is Not Inferior Art

I was looking at an old issue of Arts New Zealand at the Red Gallery café, (gosh, doesn't that sound posh!!) and found an article on Jacquieline Fraser, a multi-media artists (I think it's safe to say) whose works are inspired by couture/high fashion. I was looking at the amazing details of Fraser's works, and thinking how much they looked like real garments.

Then I thought, with real garments, the creator/s (the artist? the designer? the pattern cutter? the machinist?) must also consider the utility of the garments, the human body movement, the wear and tear, the give, the texture. So, in fact, there are lots more practical considerations going into a creating real garment than Fraser's beautiful work.

So, going back to the art/craft continuum, utilitarian/applied art/craft is not necessarily inferior to pure visual/decorative art, because of the extra utilitarian considerations that goes into the making. And no matter what you where you want to place high fashion in this continuum, if you can't wear it, it doesn't meet the basic requirements of a garment, right?

OK, who shouted, "What about wearable arts?" Out, you!!

Click on the Exhibition titles on the left to see some photos of Fraser's works.

3 comments:

  1. Well, I know nothing of weaving but you make a lot more sense than some of the rubbish spouted in defence of contemporary 'art' by people whose main interest is in displaying their vocabularies (while also revealing their complete lack of common sense). Sound like a

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  2. Whoops!!! Accidentally bumped the publish button when I came back to this. Talk about a complete lack of common sense!
    Duh....

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  3. Sometimes it does feel like a Talk Fest, Alan. I'm trying to talk less and weave more, but you know, sometimes I've had to tell folks what they are supposed to feel/see...

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