Thesis
Tradition, function and artistry: craftspeople in the modern American art world
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
Jun 2022
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00001265
Abstract
This study focuses on the divide between art and craft within the greater American art world, and the financial, social, and societal implications of that divide. Why are some works of craft considered "art" within current American art culture while some are not? Why does that divide often separate functional craft from non-functional "studio craft?" My research focuses on members of the Southern Highland Crafts Guild, specifically craftspeople who create works that serve a practical function. Through a series of one-on-one interviews with 11 professional craftspeople this research sought to discover how artisans view their own craftwork. Is it art? Do they consider themselves artists? Has the recognition of their work (or not) as art affected their status within the art community, their ability to earn fair prices for their pieces, enter gallery and museum shows, and receive positive recognition from both their peers, art consumers and critics? Through the interview process I found that the identity of "artist" is personal choice for functional craftspeople. They draw identity and value for themselves and their work from a variety of sources, often making the title of artist less important, or even irrelevant. The interviewees, all members of the Southern Highlands Craft Guild in western North Carolina, live and work in what I describe as a "craft ecosystem" characterized by strong community building, targeted market development and ample educational and business support systems.
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Details
- Title
- Tradition, function and artistry
- Creators
- Emily Kathleen Edelstein
- Contributors
- Pamela Yau (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- vii, 87 pages
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Arts Administration; Arts and Entertainment Enterprise; Drexel University; Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design
- Other Identifier
- 991018526908704721