Craft or Art
james stone
contribute didn't you...
Being a part time artist, among other things, I'd like to offer the
following.
What sets an artisan carver apart form a carpenter? Tools, techiques,
materials are mostly the same. What sets the mural painter apart from the
wall painter? Interpretation?
To put my college philosophy to some use- one of the 3 great greek
philosophers (i.e., Socrates, Plato, Aristotle), forgive my lack of
remembrance my money is on Plato ala "Republic", put forth the the idea that
there is on "true" or "ideal" object or state of being for everything. One
"true" chair for example, which is perfect in its beauty and utility. This
may not actually exist, it is a concept. All other chairs are but
derivative or interpretations of this one, inherently imperfect.
When the bonsai maker creates his tree, does he not seek to achieve that one
ideal image. He is however constrained by the material, the sharpness of
his tools, his skills, and perhaps even his own mental state. He will fall
short of "truth" as he believes he knows it because of these factor. His
pursuit of "truth" may or may not be conscious. He may merely be immersed
in the act of creating. Perception of the "truth" would be independent of
knowledege and experience, one would suppose, i.e., everyone has an opinion,
but actual proximity to the state of truthfulness may be enhanced by the
aforementioned.
Remember the bonsai scene from the first Karate Kid movie - visualize the
tree...now open your eyes and make the tree.
When a painter creates a picture he is filtering reality through himself.
He may or may not be seeking to capture the image perfectly as in
photorealism, he may be seeking other aspects of the "truth", such as the
interaction of light (Impressionism), emotion (expressionism) or a
relationship to the unconscious (surrealism). It may not be "art" according
to everyone's interpretation of "truth" or "true painting" but it is
certainly not house painting or "craft".1
A housepainter or the IKEA furniture maker is not seeking "truth". He is
trying to create a product. The interior decorator or engineer who designed
that interior finish effect or chair very may well have. Now if the
decorator is the one painting the house, or the engineer the builder of the
chair, it is difficult to say where the distinction between craft and art
lies, i.e., the designer's use of the collection of skills constituting
"craft".
If the mallsai maker is seeking "truth" then they truly need help.
Jim Stone, Philospher/Artist-errant
Galveston, TX
bnsa...@hotmail.com
http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/dante/360/index.html
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Ron Martin
>contribute didn't you...
Me I still do bonsai for fun. Maybe after thirty some odd years I still
enjoy it.
I am not an artist or even a craftsman. Just a simple bonsaiest. (Still
love that word)
Ron Martin Tokonoma Bonsai
r...@tokonoma.com
Check out our Web Page www.tokonoma.com
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Mike Bennett
get involved,but....
at the end of the day, craft or art...does it really matter?. Bonsai is
bonsai, simple as that. I personally find no need to be pigeon-holed as
artist or craftsman, and analysing the whole area to death just leaves less
time to work with my trees. When it comes down to it, bonsai is not going to
change because its been designated a particular role...it will still remain
bonsai
Regards
Mike Bennett
mi...@matsu.freeserve.co.uk
bonsai
>bonsai, simple as that. I personally find no need to be pigeon-holed as
>artist or craftsman, and analysing the whole area to death just leaves less
>time to work with my trees. When it comes down to it, bonsai is not going
to
>change because its been designated a particular role...it will still remain
>bonsai
Hi Mike,
I agree with you; I have no time in my busy life to pontificate.
The greatest challenge in bonsai (at least to those of us who live in areas
where the climate is less than ideal) is the horticulture - keeping them
alive. I would call this the craft part, without which the art is
meaningless. Art is in the eye of the beholder. I tell my students that
they can never really do a bonsai incorrectly. Some may not be pleasing to
others, but if they are pleasing to you, you have created a piece of art,
which, to be completely successful, must remain alive.
Valerie Clark
Alberta, Canada - Zone 3
bon...@cadvision.com