“The difference between art and craft lies not in the tools you hold in your hands, but in the mental set that guides them. For the artisan, craft is an end in itself. For you, the artist, craft is the vehicle for expressing your vision. Craft is the visible edge of art.” - David Bayles
Have you ever wondered if arts don’t exist?
Arts and crafts are undeniably becoming remarkable since the day it was discovered. It was widely accepted and appreciated – making it a part of our daily life basis. Well-known artists produced great masterpieces that brings color, harmony and balance in our nature. It creates creativity out of the vagueness of dull and boring life.
Arts and crafts movement is a belief in craftsmanship which stresses the inherent beauty of the material, the importance of nature as inspiration, and the value of simplicity, utility, and beauty. it was a social and artistic movement, which began in Britain in the second half of the nineteenth century and continued until now, spreading to continental Europe and the USA. Artisans and craftsmen quested to maintain and reassert the significance of craftsmanship in all arts facing industrialization through mass produced products because they believe that what the industrialization pursuits is the quantity more than the quality. We should revive and retain the traditional handicrafts and make art affordable to all.
One of the most influential figures during 1880, the beginning of arts and crafts movement, was William Morris, a poet, artist, philosopher, typographer, political theorist and arguably the most celebrated designer of arts and crafts movement. He actively promoted joy of craftsmanship and the beauty of nature. Having produced over 50 wallpaper designs throughout his career, Morris became an internationally renowned designer and manufacturer. His passion is to strived to revive and protect the traditional techniques of handmade production that were being replaced by machines during the Victorian Era’s Industrial Revolution.
There is no arts and crafts movement without industrial revolution. Industrial revolution has awakened the great artisan to establish arts and crafts for the sake of reviving and protecting the traditional-made arts. During the revolution, arts have been mechanized which provides poor quality of design and the demeaning conditions under which products were produced. This revolution indeed resulted to a major societal shift that if we realize, traditionally, manual laborers learned their trade by processing through stages of apprenticeship under a master craftsman, which has better quality products.
The major innovation of the Arts and Crafts movement was in their systems of ideas and ideals, not in their style or design. It was successful in protecting and reviving respect for traditional and native materials, but somehow failed to produce art for the masses since it is manually reproduced. Also, handmade products were expensive. On the other hand, the movement failed to organize more because they are financially unstable, which only lasted until 1920s. If the movement wasn’t established at all, can we picture out the art and crafts industry today? Can we still have the chance to see masterpieces that gives us the feeling of bringing back to our pasts?
