Arts and Crafts?

[{Dakota}]

In your opinion, what's the difference between an art and a craft?

I'm reading a Tom Cruise biography at the moment and he apparently goes on about his "craft" to his peers. I would have put that into the arts category, am I missing something?

[dundurn]

For me art implies innovation and creativity. Craft implies skill and technique. Craft gives you the vocabulary, art allows you to choose the words and write the speech. So in the best painting, photography, sculpture, dance, acting, etc if we are lucky we will see a marriage of art and craft where the one enhances the other.

[heathfield]

My art lecturer insisted that everything is art. Even scientists and mathematicians have to use the qualities that Dundurn mentions, of innovation, creativity, skill, and technique.
Is art is the ability to produce a one-off, while craft is the skill to reproduce it?

[ludwig]

I always think it's a craft when the result has some practical use - basketweaving, furniture making, dry stone walling, pottery, candle making etc etc. An artwork on the other hand is created simply to satisy the creative urge of the artist, and to provoke some emotional response in those who come into contact with it, whilst serving no practical purpose other than perhaps decoration.

[ludwig]

...hence 'art for art's sake'. Just to relate that to Tom Cruise, by my definition, I'd probably agree with him, acting's more of a craft than an artistic pursuit.

[christylogan244]

The old historical arts are always the best. I really like the African arts a lot and have also got quite a lot from http://www.nyamiafricanmasks.com/our_values_page.php.