Blurring the Boundaries between Art and Craft

FA 101

Guidelines for Essay 2: Blurring the Boundaries between Art and Craft

2-4 pages (double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font), page numbers. Citations using Chicago style. Each image should include a caption and a source.

Blackboard. Central Question: To what extent and in what ways, if any, is the art/craft divide still useful today? Consider the following evidence:

A) Hot glass (Chihuly documentary River of Glass on reserve in the Terrell and Holland Library, and Tatton-Brown reading on Blackboard)

B) Tattooing (Schildkrout reading on Blackboard) Review evidence gathered and researched in Dossier II. Discuss one of the above topics and then consider broader conclusions about boundaries between ‘art’ and ‘craft’.

Such as: Is it a vestige of an earlier era, a hindrance to the study of art history today? Is it a legacy helpful in understanding the history of art? Or is it a combination of both? Consider where the conceptual binary originated and whether you would argue that it is still relevant today.

In the introduction define the terms ‘art’ and ‘craft’ and present an argument in response to the central question above. State clearly whether it would be more useful to reintegrate the terms ‘art’ and ‘craft’ into a single concept, such as ‘visual studies’, or whether the terms as we use them today are more useful to the study of the history of art. Essays should include at least two references to readings listed above. Neither the textbook nor additional research will count towards the two required references. Remember to submit your final essay as a single pdf.