The Arts And Crafts Debate

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useful objects”. Or from the slightly different point of view, it consists of the ability to perform in a useful way. He goes on to outline the tangible aspects of usefulness, depending upon the context they are used in, being the external or internal factors of the world referred to.
In addition to function, ‘skill’ is determined to be a measure of the craft or craftsmanship. Becker continues to say that in certain circumstances beauty can also be part of the criteria, which weighs the balance of debate. Furthermore, although these criteria have been recognised and accepted by artists / craftsmen there are certain inconsistencies in the definitions, because different values have been placed on these criteria by groups. Therefore there becomes a distinction between the artist-craftsman and the ordinary craftsman, thus there is a co-existence between the art ‘segment’, utilitarian craft ‘segment’, and artist craftsmen ‘segment’.
This may be true in some respects but perhaps it could ...

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aspects of an individual’s work and therefore there are different attitudes and ideas in respect to the definition of skill. Underlying this, most believe that the essential element is in the mind of the worker, rather than simply the manual skill involved. And equally important a strong sense of ability to exercise control over every aspect of work they do. Becker believes that the craftsman has less control over what he is making as he is more likely to have to conform to more conventional guidelines dictated by the public for utility. But so too is the artist constrained by the galleries, museums and collectors associated with their industry, although generally on a far more benign ...

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