Saturday, October 25, 2008

Question...

Which came first? The arts or the crafts?

1 comment:

Michael said...

The following is from m-w.com (Merriam Webster's Online Dictionary):

Craft: an occupation or trade requiring manual dexterity or artistic skill (the carpenter's craft) (the craft of writing plays) (crafts such as pottery, carpentry, and sewing) bplural : articles made by craftspeople (a store selling crafts) (a crafts fair)

Art: the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects ; also : works so produced

It would thus appear that art is more broad, while craft is a little more specific. I still think it's a chicken/egg thing.