Craftsmanship in Arts and Science.

Abstract

The term “craftsmanship” is defined as skilled work and usually applies to a small-scale production. In his essay, On Craftsmanship , Frayling defines it as a desire to do a job well for its own sake (1). The term evokes associations with masters and apprentices, guilds, and the hierarchy of competence. In the distant past there was no difference between art and craft. Even now we think of ancient Greek pottery as pieces of art. In Renaissance Florence in the 1470s artists were running workshops along with other artisans. At that time, masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Albrecht Durer, and Michelangelo Buonarotti kept convincing their sponsors that their work was as intellectually engaging as poetry or literature. This view eventually created a divide between the crafts and what became high art. As a consequence, decorative arts, such as textiles, pottery, or furniture making, were for a long time regarded as an inferior kind of art. The Industrial Revolution increased this divide by introducing the issue of mass production, which was contrasted with the uniqueness of high art pieces (2). This sparked both the reevaluation of craftsmanship and an effort to improve the aesthetics of …