There is this attitude that, unless the Art (or Craft) has a steep learning curve, that
a) it is "cheating", or
b) it is only for children (and therefore adults should be publicly mocked and shamed for doing it), or
c) it isn't possible for someone to become skillful at it because there is no skill involved in it whatsoever
Yes, I'm thinking of Acrylic Pouring in particular, but it isn't the only one.
Other examples of crafts which are treated with contempt:
* Loom knitting - marketed to kids
* Hook-knitting (aka "knooking") - also marketed to kids
* Machine-knitting - low-end machines marketed to kids
* Macrame when it is called "friendship bracelets" (only done by kids) but not when it is called "paracord knotting" (because this version is done by The Mens and therefore has status) (YES they are BOTH macrame)
Any other examples you can think of?
@kerravonsen @Dangerous_beans Though several decades ago my rural Australian high school insisted that everyone was going to do a year of cooking, sewing, woodwork and metalwork regardless of gender, because we all needed to know the basics of how to look after ourselves and our property.
Once the boys got over the "cooking's for girls", some of them got seriously into it, had a lot of fun, and said they'd learnt something useful and were glad they'd done it.
@kerravonsen @knitting any style of photography done with a phone camera.
Any self portraiture that is either made using a camera, or done by a woman.
@coolandnormal
Mind you, there are some who are snobbish towards every style of photography, since they consider it "cheating" and "not real art".
The irony of having contempt towards phone cameras is that the tech in phones has improved so much over the years that it is definitely better than what standalone digital cameras used to be -- but then I suppose the same class of people who have contempt towards phone cameras probably had contempt towards digital cameras (because "only film is *proper* photography")
@kerravonsen the complaint I used to hear constantly (at work) from guys with fancy camera setups was "now everyone thinks they're a photographer".
The source of anxiety was nothing to do with the actual technology, it was purely about the fact that more people (and a far greater diversity of people) can now access photography.
@coolandnormal More accessible, less gatekeeping, more competition.
In a way they are right: everyone does think that they're a photographer. But the hordes of non-professional photographers who are taking millions of snapshots, are NOT treating photography as an Art. They aren't actually competition.
Because nowadays, I think the only difference the tech itself makes is how much control the photographer has over the process. The fancier the tech, the more control -- at least, that's the impression I get. You buy high-end equipment because you're frustrated with the limitations of the cheaper equipment.
But the most important thing in photography, IMHO, is what I call "the skill of eye", and that is important no matter what tech you're using. Looking at the scene, taking in the colours, the light and shade, chosing how to make the composition - that is what takes photography out of Snapshot and into Art.
@kerravonsen I think the main concern of the guys I was talking to is people (young women in particular) *were* competing in what they saw as their space, stepping on their toes, using only phone cameras.
I think they were concerned that their equipment (and ability to regularly hire models) was most of what they had going for them. If folks with a real artistic eye can afford cameras, they're fucked.
@coolandnormal
Ah, so the phone-cameras are "cheating" because they got good results without having expensive equipment.
Considering the equipment which a professional photographer is likely to have, it *does* improve their results, and/or make it easier to get good results, but I think the difference is like only 10-20% better. And they are definitely paying a lot more than 10-20% more for their fancy equipment. So they feel it isn't "fair".
Okay. It isn't fair. Tough luck.
Zentangle?
Adult colouring-in?
@kerravonsen @knitting Um... weaving actually, I think. When people see this giant floor loom and all the threads going in and out, they get confused. The fabric could be intricate AF but people will still ask "Why do you do this when you can go to the fabric store and just BUY fabric? You can buy a scarf from the store" etc.
But they don't have that type of fabric in the store. (For my part, I'm sticking to the rigid heddle loom. Less floorspace.)
@jtphillipsmnr @knitting Oh boy. But those sort of people would treat all and every craft as a waste of time!
I don't think weaving falls into the category of something that people think it "too easy", though.
@kerravonsen @knitting you're right, I think weaving falls into the category of "I didn't know this even existed!/I didn't know people still did this!"
(Eeeh people... what do they think the modern weaving machines were based off of! 🥲)
@Darkphoenix Yay, fellow mailler!
I do agree that it isn't difficult to learn, but maybe it isn't treated as "lesser" because it isn't cheap - I mean, maillers who make jewellery are going to buy pretty metal, and maillers who make armour, while they may make their own rings out of galvy (and thus it isn't as expensive), it is so time-consuming (and somewhat macho) to make armour that I don't think anyone treats that with contempt either.
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