Fine Art versus Craft

A couple of posts ago I showed this new piece of work which had come together very quickly when I was playing around for twenty minutes. I received some positive feedback and decided that I would carry on playing with these ideas, particularly as my youngest boy is finally established at nursery for 2.5 days and it seems like now is the right time to begin reviewing what I am making and why. When my hubby saw this work he was very encouraging and with a look of relief on his face he chirped 'Now, this is Kate's work, very you!'. Now, first of all I must apologize for using my poor hubby to illustrate this point but it is a fair point I want to make so I'm sure he won't mind. Whilst I am pleased that hubby recognizes that I have a style, what I really think he wanted to say was 'Phew, she's stopped with the pretty butterfly/bird thing, now she can get back to some real art' and in a roundabout way he did say that with comments like 'I like the paper on canvas stuff but ....'!!!!

I've had this problem at different times in my Art career. There have always been those that like my printmaking but not my 'wierd loud art installation thingy's that are always about 'women' or 'childhood' and those that like my drawings of moustached women but not my pretty butterfly/bird thing. Those that give me pitying looks and say 'when the children are older I'm sure you'll find the time to be an Artist again, you know making sound and installation work?'. Those that have really touched me by remembering that I at times I have performed as part of this outfit and that ask 'when' I will do so again which is both reassuring and exciting for me.

My point really is that the world of Fine Art, Music, Performance I believe is a very strict one with definite perimeters of what you 'can' and what you 'mustn't' do and sometimes that is just stifling. I know this stuff is my baggage and in a way I shouldn't even care but actually it bothers me. That hierarchical snobbery bothers me and it always has done. Right now I get as much joy from revamping an old frame to hold my earrings as I do from producing a piece of work with a fine art aesthetic and audience in mind. I love Pinterest, I love Instagram, I love Fine Art, I love Craft and I love pretty things and I really am ok wearing different hats on different days but it's always going to niggle!!!! What's your achilles today?