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What Is the Difference Between an Artist & a Craftsman?

The differences between artists and craftsmen are murky, but one distinction is that artists produce works primarily for aesthetic value, while craftsmen make things meant for use in everyday life.
  1. Definitions

    • The word "artist" is defined as one who professes and practices an imaginative art, while "craftsman" is defined as a worker who practices a trade or handicraft.

    Types

    • Types of artists are painters, sculptors and photographers, while craftsmen are jewelry makers, furniture builders and potters.

    Considerations

    • American glass artist, Marvin Lipofsky, stated in a 2003 interview for the Archives of American Art at the Smithsonian Institute, "I don't see much difference in [art and craft]. There are some differences in expression, there are some differences in feelings, but I think those are fairly minor."

      Further, writing and art are similar in that they can be interpreted differently, while a craftsman's table is just that, a table. Yet writers, and entertainers as well, refer to their work as both art and craft. Crafts are also called decorative arts, so there is a fine line between the two.

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