Are handmade cards truly art?

'Stylish', 'elegant', 'high class' and 'high quality' - these words can be used to explain the big popularity of handmade greeting cards. But do handmade cards deserve the place in such small word as 'art'? In our opinion, it's obviously yes. The description 'handmade card artist' represents what very talented card designers do - their put their artwork (whether it is textile, illustrative and graphic art) on their cards.

However, can we classify all handcrafted cards as an Art? There plenty handmade cards on the market than have been mass produced on Far East and sold in shops and supermarkets for under £2. Those cards are not viewed by people in the same way as a true handmade card - they are the same as ordinary printed cards. In contrast, UK handmade card artists are almost creating 'designer labels'. And people buy these beautiful cards more like a gift then a card...

By: AlexA | Friday, October 5, 2007 at 12:32 AM | |

The Art of Greeting Cards

For, such a small word 'art', it is very difficult to divide what is 'art' and what is not - especially when it comes to greeting cards. Greeting card can be the one of the most visible and widely available presentation of 'art' in its widest sense. From fine art cards to photography, to handmade, the greeting cards symbolize art in every aspect.

But when the real world of art continues to grow and grow, the discussion about what actually constitutes art in the greeting card scene is becoming more heated. There are those who argue that the commercial nature of greeting cards muddies the water of where art stops and pure commercialism begins. These people say that the art should be created just for the sake of art itself, not for the profits to be made. However, does this mean that artist that spends hours, if not days, creating the most wonderful piece of art for a greeting card is no longer producing art?

The Encyclopaedia Britannica describes art as 'The use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects or experiences that can be shared with others.' By definition, then, every greeting card is a work of art. Before, art was often seen as rather old fashioned, upper class and out of reach. Nowadays, art is everywhere, on mugs, notepads, bags, T-shirts and, of course, greeting cards...

By: AlexA | Monday, September 24, 2007 at 4:46 PM | |