If there is one thing I know, it is bad to be crafty in the art department. Well, let me start by saying..."I'M CRAFTY!" After countless classes learning about technique while simultaneously developing coherent concepts, it's nice to sit down and crochet a scarf or or play with doilies and construction paper to make cute little Valentine's Day cards.
Now, craft can be just for fun, but why is it so often looked down upon in the fine arts? Fibers has been a huge influence in my concepts, my paintings, and how I see and use my materials. Everyone thinks of fibers and thinks of basket weaving. They also believe that that could not be fine art. But what makes something fine art? Why is it that in our contemporary art scene fine art can be made of traditionally unrelated materials, but not from "crafty" materials. The image above on the left is "Eight Women in White" by Ghada Amer and it is acrylic, embroidery, and gel medium on canvas. The piece on the right is one of mine. I used craft materials such as embroidery hoops and needlepoint canvas to create a corset with horribly unrealistic measurements (34"-10"-34"). From farther away it is beautiful, but the paintings on the silk are actually overlapping pornographic images, similar to Amer's embroidery.
I guess my question is "why are craft based media looked down upon in regards to fine art?" If an artist can use old car parts and spray paint to create a piece of fine art, why not pipe cleaners? I think that it is all in how the materials are used and the concept behind them.
