Art vs. Craft

Chris Murray

Chris Murray is a full-time photographer, instructor, and writer from New York State. His photographs are not meant to be a literal document of the woods, mountains, and rivers of his home state, but rather a creative expression of his relationship with the places that ceaselessly inspire him.

chrismurrayphotography.com

Of course one can go ‘too far' and except in directions in which we can go too far there is no interest in going at all; and only those who risk going ‘too far’ can possibly find out just how far one can go.” ~ T.S. Eliot

In his autobiography, “Bill Bruford: The Autobiography,” drummer Bill Bruford recounts his time in one of the many bands in which he was associated and explores the question of whether a musician should be regarded as an artist or a craftsman. The band was from the UK, a late 1970’s “supergroup” in the progressive rock genre. He recounts that after their first highly successful album two of the band members wanted to employ the same musical templates in order that their follow-up album be as equally successful. On the other hand, Bruford and guitarist Allan Holdsworth were more interested in exploring new musical territory, wherever that may lead them. Bruford posits that music is art when the musician has no idea during the creative process what the final product will be. Conversely, craft is the result of following a blueprint to a predictable result, be it a sellable record or a carpenter's chair. Ultimately, this difference in approach and philosophy led to the dissolution of that iteration of the band.

I believe exploring and studying the approaches and philosophies of artists in other mediums can greatly inform our photography.