Woodturning being defined as "art"

[Russ Braun]

Art just requires a “Beholder”…….until an “Expert” shows up!

 

[Michael Anderson]

A few turners have used casting in metal and glass to great effect.I have a Trent Bosch bronze casting I continue to marvel at.

That’s a nice piece, Al. Roberto Ferrar had a small cast bronze platter at the Louisville symposium. I didn’t realize it was cast, as he does a lot of cool surface work. I asked how he achieved his finish and he said it was just polished metal. “Ohhhhhh”, then it clicked.

I’d love to get my hands on one of Craig Lofton’s bronze calabashes.

 

[Rick Moreton]

Hot take: CNC is just digital ornamental turning with g code instead of rosettes.

Being able to make copies or near copies shouldn't matter. Block printing produces many copies. Is only the first print the art?

 

[Kevin Jenness]

Why is woodturning being defined as art important? Let's go back to the original post in which John said I've always believed this definition of art is a part what keeps woodturners under appreciated and undervalued. So, recognition and money? Certainly some of the original AAW movers and shakers like Mark Lindquist and David Ellsworth were interested in having galleries take their work seriously enough to represent them and establish a collectors market separate from and more lucrative than that associated with the more plebeian, functional craft tradition.

 

[John Ames]

Why is woodturning being defined as art important? Let's go back to the original post in which John said I've always believed this definition of art is a part what keeps woodturners under appreciated and undervalued. So, recognition and money? Certainly some of the original AAW movers and shakers like Mark Lindquist and David Ellsworth were interested in having galleries take their work seriously enough to represent them and establish a collectors market separate from and more lucrative than that associated with the more plebeian, functional craft tradition.

Yes…

Money for the artists increases as the “art” of woodturning is elevated to “art status” as defined by the gatekeepers.

Recognition not only for the artists themselves, but for the entire woodturning community. Rising the proverbial tide raises all of our boats…

Representation of any woodturner in serious galleries helps elevate all of our collective and individual “value.” Both perceived and actual value.

It’s nice when someone reaches a level of proficiency and expertise in their creative field that they can feed not only their soul, but also their family.

 

[Larry Mercier]

CNC is a process
Objects are art.

#40 Well said.

 

[John Ames]

As to AI, yeah that deepens the rabbit hole a bit. Does art require a human element? In all of the definitions we’ve seen in this thread, no one specifically mentioned “created by a human”.

Just off the top of my head I know I’ve seen:

Paint sprayed by an elephant on canvas
Raccoon feet dipped in paint and walking on canvas
Pigs wallowing in paint on a canvas
Monkeys finger painting
Birds using paint brushes

All of these were displayed in galleries and I assume sold…. Whether these were serious art galleries or just something like fundraisers for a local animal shelter, I have no idea…

 

[Kevin Jenness]

I would ask those turners who consider themselves artists, what does that mean to you?

 

[Kevin Jenness]

Gradually reading through the American Woodturner archives I came across a couple of articles on the subject of art and woodturning which may be interesting to some: Promoting Our Art by Ron Vavra (vol.15 #4 Winter 2000) and What is Art by Gene Kanga (vol.16 #1, Spring 2001). The first is mostly about marketing, the second more comprehensive and useful for thinking about how art and craft are related (or not). I particularly like Kanga's push for wood artists becoming familiar with art history so as to avoid copying of past work through ignorance of other fields.

I also was interested to see the work of an indigenous Maine basketmaker featured in last Sunday's New York Times art section Jeremy Frey. He has some very elegant pure shapes and geometric ornamentation. It begs the question of what it is that makes his work "art" and also demonstrates how the maker's story can be a part of marketing the work.

 

[Ron Solfest]

Coming to this discussion late, and only skimming the 89 posts so far, I'll offer my two cents from someone who's clearly not an artist.

Over the years as I've read AAW magazines I've often pined for more turning process discussions and craft fundamentals (bowl design for instance). While @Jerry Bennett 's work is beautiful, frankly it's not something I aspire to nor often appreciate adequately. As my skills have grown I've come to appreciate more nuanced understandings of bowls and objects that are 'not too far removed' from the traditional lathe process, as well as embellishments of clearly turned items. My palate has expanded, thanks to the artistic pull of AAW, but is still very parochial.

The definition of 'art' is clearly many things to many people. To me, art requires creativity and understanding the media, process, and human nature in a way to evoke deep connection or meaning in the beholder. I see the discussion around function to be orthogonal to that of art. While I don't venture onto the art plane, I do like to make functional objects that are pleasing to the eye and hand. I'm far from an artist as a creator of turned wooden objects, but I have a couple brothers that have described bowls I've given them as 'art' in their eyes so clearly what's just a nice turning to some can be 'art' to others.

 

[hughie]

Where I live art has been quantified, decided upon etc that anything wood pretty much aint art. There are no museums that hold any wood turned pieces, there are a small number of collectors. What we get paid would many of you shaking your heads