Page 8 - Grasp English C1 (Workbook)

1 ART AND CRAFT

C. Read the online question and answer forum.

Alice1848
asks:
I’m interested in studying art at university, and I can see courses
in applied art and fine art. I’m not sure what the difference is. Can
anyone help me?

Robert Sachs
answers:

The difference between fine art and applied art is that the purpose of applied art is creating
something artistic which serves a specific purpose, for example, designing packaging to sell
goods, decorating a space, making posters to promote an event and so on. Fine art has no
particular purpose – it is the product of an artist’s self-expression and the message or mood
he or she wants to create. It’s a bit of a vague term, to tell the truth, because many of the
Renaissance portraits that we consider fine art are in fact applied art, as they were created
for a purpose – they were commissioned by a patron to capture a person’s image or to show
status for example. Some people would argue that the aim of fine art is to create something
that is aesthetically pleasing or excellent, but I don’t think that’s strictly true, as some fine
artists set out to shock or disturb people, with strange, controversial pictures and installations
that many people find weird. Applied art is less likely to shock or push boundaries because
ultimately, the client wants to leave a positive impression on the viewer.

There are similarities between the two, though. Both courses should cover similar techniques
such as composition and light; the same subjects, such as people, animals or landscapes, and
both will use symbols and imagery. During both courses, you will learn to use a wide range of
media, whether it’s traditional media-like sculpture, drawing, painting, or more modern ones like
computer-aided art, and mixed media.

Working in the two disciplines requires a different set of skills. Applied art means following
briefs, working to the client’s parameters and sticking to tight deadlines, with less room for self-
expression. Creating fine art allows much more flexibility, but it’s much harder to make a living
at it. Having said that, fine art pieces are more highly regarded by art collectors and fetch a
much higher price than applied artworks, which is a shame because some applied artists are
really gifted. I guess it’s the reproducible nature of applied art which makes it cheap, whereas
all fine art is original.

Hope that answers your question! I guess, to decide which course is best for you, you might
want to think about whether your end-goal is to express yourself through your excellence in art
or to use your skills to get your artwork seen by the masses and earn a reasonable living!

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