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plato's gorgias
i can't help but think that there's the episteme/techne (frequently translated as knowledge/knack) distinction lurking in the background here. among plato's examples in the gorgias there was the distinction between medicine and cookery in which the cook had skill, but the doctor had the deeper understanding of principles.
and, on the other hand, i also wonder to what extent the appeal to the idea of "art" isn't a bit of mystification that was an object of debunking among the cognoscenti of the 70s and 80s because of its elitist overtones.
i'm not calling anyone elitist, i'm just kind of intrigued by this distinction being raised here that has been the subject of philosophical inquiry for a long, long time. and it is rather nice to see it invoked in the context of watches.
chris
Art Versus Craft
I ponder this distinction often, and while I can say in most cases I know it when I see it, as Justice Potter Stewart famously said about pornography, I don't think this is a helpful or informative definition. I'd like to hear how others articulate the di...
Hmmm . . . methinks there's a specific reference you have in mind, Meehna . . .
. . . please clue us in for the benefit of the forum. Note to forum readers: I had a conversation with Meehna yesterday on this topic so I understand the point she's trying to make, but without the full context, it would be difficult for anyone else to ma...
Lange versus Glashutte (Art versus Craft)
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of getting together with like-minded watch nuts such as myself. Art (the man aka Dr. No) and I got in a discussion about the difference between the brands Lange & Glashutte. Art said that Glashutte represents more the craft o...
distinction in my mind is.....
In the scope of this discussion, I think of craft as the technology, the expertise, the methodologies, and the science of making the watch. Art (No. Not Dr. No ) in my mind is something that evokes a strong emotion - perhaps something beautiful, something...
Thank you, Meehna, for providing the necessary context. I've used . . .
. . . the distinction between "art" and "craft" before to illustrate my thoughts on the matter. The "art" of watchmaking, in the sense that I'm using it, has more to do with attention to detail in terms of finishing, while the "craft" is concerned with ma...
Excellent distinctions
Thank you to both Dr. No and JMan for the great craftsmanship they put into their artful answers. m
“Art versus Craft’ or ‘Art and Craft’ ?
When I was at primary school we did “Art and Craft”. They were never separate and they were certainly never “versus”. A good watch has to have both. ‘Finish’ seems to be what many consider as the ‘arty’ side of the equation. This of course evolved, to a l...
Granted, Andrew, and of course, I'm not intimating that G O . . .
. . . produces watches devoid of the watchmakers art. The conversation yesterday started as a query from Meehna as to how I felt Glashütte Original compared to Lange, and my answer was that I feel the emphasis at G O is on perfecting the craft of wat...
plato's gorgias
i can't help but think that there's the episteme/techne (frequently translated as knowledge/knack) distinction lurking in the background here. among plato's examples in the gorgias there was the distinction between medicine and cookery in which the cook h...
That's a perspicacious observation, Chris . . .
. . . and thanks for giving me the opportunity to clarify what might easily seem to be a broad and careless distinction. Certainly, both A L & S and G O are highly capable manufacturers with a surfeit of technical capability; that A L & S manages to never...
There.....
is no right or wrong answer here. One may debate for art & craft for Lange and GO I love both brands and consider that they excel in both art & craft- some may debate that Lange is more arty but GO has sever models that will beg to differ. As for the craf...
I was concerned that my response to Meehna's direct question . . .
. . . might be interpreted in absolute terms; the distinction between 'art' and 'craft' was not meant to be taken as a dichotomy, but rather as a difference in emphasis, and a nuanced one at that. Frankly, these sorts of issues always make me slightly unc...
True, but it’s still fun and reasonable to try …
… and the discussion has been very interesting. I enjoyed this thread. Andrew
Plato
Hi Chris, Thanks for bringing in another example for context. Leave it to dear old Plato to bring up a question still on our minds today. It's clear that no matter in what discipline or industry the admirers, experts, etc., enjoy gathering to ponder and c...
Question for Meleena.....
Yoiu don't happen to work in a respected watch purveyor's shop located in Hartford.,Connecticut, do you???
Teleportation from Los Angeles
Hello db darien, Alas, I am not Meleena but Meehna, and I reside in Los Angeles. I cannot even claim to have been in Hartford, Connecticut. Though I don't work for a respected watch purveyor in Connecticut, I do believe my employers very respectable and I...
The view from the unwashed masses....
I must respectfully disagree with most of you. Although not expressed on canvas I need only look upon a master craftsman at work to know that good craftsmanship IS art. I hope you can forgive me but I feel strongly that many cannot recognize it for what i...