There are three aspects to human creativity: art, crafts, and science. Roughly, art relies upon intuitive sensing, vision, and expression; crafts upon sophisticated technique; and science upon knowledge. in
Agra,
India sits between
scooters in a commercial area making careful observations in the practice of his trade
Handicraft Handicraft is the "
traditional" main sector of the crafts. It is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are
made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. The term is usually applied to traditional means of making goods. The individual
artisanship of the items is a paramount criterion, an such items often have cultural and/or religious significance. Items made by
mass production or machines are not handicraft goods. The beginning of crafts in areas like the
Ottoman Empire involved the governing bodies requiring members of the city who were skilled at creating goods to open shops in the center of town. These people slowly stopped acting as
subsistence farmers (who created goods in their own homes to trade with neighbors) and began to represent what we think of as "craftspeople" today. Besides traditional goods, handicraft contributes to the field of
computing by combining craft practices with technology. For example, in 1968, the
Apollo 8 spacecraft's core memory consisted of wires that were woven around and through electromagnetic cores by hand. The
core rope memory they created contained information used to successfully complete the mission. Crafts and craftspeople have become a subject of academic study. For example, Stephanie Bunn was an artist before she became an anthropologist, and she went on to develop an academic interest in the process of craft. She argues that what happens to an object before it becomes a "product" is an area worthy of study.
The Arts and Crafts Movement , Scotland The term
crafts is used to describe artistic practices within the family of
decorative arts that traditionally are defined by their relationship to functional or utilitarian products (such as
sculptural forms in the vessel tradition) or by their use of such natural media as
wood,
clay,
ceramics,
glass,
textiles, and
metal. The Arts and Crafts Movement originated in Britain during the late 19th century and was characterized by a style of decoration reminiscent of medieval times. The primary artist associated with the movement is
William Morris, whose work was reinforced with writings from
John Ruskin. The movement placed a high importance on the quality of craftsmanship, while emphasizing the importance for the arts to contribute to economic reform.
Studio crafts Crafts practiced by independent artists working alone or in small groups are referred to as studio craft. Studio craft includes
studio pottery,
metalwork,
weaving,
woodturning,
paper and other forms of
woodworking,
glassblowing, and
glass art.
Craft fairs , UK A craft
fair is an organized event to display and sell crafts. Along with miscallaneous craft fairs, there are also craft stores where goods are sold and craft "communities", such as
Craftster, where
expertise is shared and discussion of craft takes place.
Tradesperson A tradesperson is a skilled manual worker in a particular trade or craft, with a high degree of both practical and theoretical knowledge of their trade. In cultures where professional careers are highly prized, there can be a shortage of skilled manual workers, leading to lucrative niche markets in the trades. ==See also==