By Dave Babbitt – Special to the Sydenham Current
This week’s column emanates from a recent discussion I had with my son Andrew. Andrew is a multi-talented walking encyclopedia of many topics, and working with LEGO continues to be a relaxing, creative hobby for him.
For the older in the crowd, LEGO has evolved into much more than the simple building blocks we played with as kids to build rectangular, “Minecraft-like” objects. In recent years, the LEGO company has taken to creating some amazing kits that allow aficionados to build a wide variety of popular objects.
A few years ago, Andrew assembled a LEGO kit consisting of over 11,000 pieces—a relief map of the world. His current project is assembling a kit of the RMS Titanic. The model will be amazing, with incredible detail, but while observing him working on it, I made a comment about what a “work of art” it is.
He disagreed with my choice of words, and in setting me straight, it brought to mind a situation that arose many years ago when the Wallaceburg and District Council for the Arts was asked to head up an Art in the Park display for Wallaceburg’s annual signature event, WAMBO.
The suggestion of Art in the Park was a fantastic one, as it fell right into the mandate of the Arts Council. Being a part of the Arts Council at the time, I was pleased to help with this initiative, which was headed up by Carol Koop for several years.
WAMBO organizers provided us with what we considered perhaps the prime location across the entire downtown area that WAMBO encompasses—the beautiful, tree-shaded grassy knoll running behind and along the side of the public library at the river basin. Not only was the location beautiful for WAMBO attendees and comfortable for the artists displaying their work, but the shade also protected the artwork from the potentially damaging rays of the sun.
On the south side of the Sydenham, however, one of the parking lots was turned into an area for “crafters” to display their work. They brought all manner of products made from wood, leather, fabric, and even recycled materials. One crafter made objects out of old spoons. The creativity seemed endless.
One year, however, a “crafter” took great exception to not being allowed to display their work at the Art in the Park display on the north side of the river. They insisted that their work was “art,” not “craft.”
That was the start of a great debate, and one that can become a rather heated argument. I believe the debate to be impossible for many to agree upon, regardless of what any dictionary might say.
In refuting my words about his building of the Titanic, Andrew said, “Art is intended to elicit an emotional response. This does not.”
The first response I found in a quick online inquiry about the difference between art and craft said that “art is more focused on using tools and materials to express an emotion or idea, while craft is more focused on using tools and materials to create a specific tangible object or product.”
Additional responses to my inquiry regarding art brought up words such as “expression, communication, ideas, and creativity.” The meaning of “craft” included words such as “skill, execution, handiwork, and activity.”
In making a leading statement, surely readers will see the case for disagreement between the two factions, as I can see using those descriptions in both cases.
I taught woodworking for several years, and in some cases, we had common projects that all were required to make. One year, much like making the paper tie we all created in school for our fathers on Father’s Day, I had the students use a scroll saw to cut out a Christmas tree, make a base out of the scraps, and, using a piece of doweling, stand the tree up.
I gave the students a template and instructions on how to make the simple tree. In my opinion, that was a craft that called upon knowledge of how to safely operate a scroll saw, choose the correct blade, follow cut lines, and assemble the tree.
I could teach anyone to use a scroll saw safely, and it would take five minutes of practice to learn how to follow the lines in cutting it out. However, once the tree was created, it became their responsibility to personalize it by painting, decorating, and adding colored or clear mini-LED lights.
When they were taken home, did they elicit an emotional response, as Andrew and my online definition suggested? I do not know. But I do know that my dad liked the paper tie I made in grade three that said “I love you Dad,” and it elicited an emotional response. I was an artist!
The wooden trees started as a craft and then required artistic input and skills to complete. So was this simple project art or craft? And on which side of the Sydenham River should the creator have displayed their work?
Despite disagreements, there are undoubtedly examples of pure artistic genius. Troy Brooks comes to mind immediately. There is no question—Troy is not a crafter but a world-class, widely recognized artist.
But our southside crafter could argue that Troy could not create his masterpieces without carefully chosen tools and materials, so he could also be considered a crafter.
I once wrote a column about my first summer at the University of Toronto. While working on my music qualifications, our instructor asked for a definition of “music.” Much like the Art in the Park dispute about art vs. craft, the discussion in the room devolved into some very heated disagreements. We never arrived at a definition accepted by all.
As I suggested earlier, regardless of dictionary or online definitions of art and craft, there will be great disagreement, even among academics.
I found what I consider an interesting perspective on the conflict in an online post, which suggested that the problem lies more in how artists want to be perceived than in their work itself. It read, “The contention of ‘art’ vs. ‘craft’ is hotly debated as creators seek to migrate from the unwanted label of artisan to that of artist. Unfortunately, these classifications are often handed down from higher authorities, such as art critics and museums, with little input from the people whose work is being categorized.”
For that reason, I must conclude this week without solving the question I presented. I think I know in my own mind the . Just don’t ask me to explain it.