PRECIZĂRI TERMINOLOGICE: ARTĂ – ARTIST/ARTIZAN – ARTEFACT/MANUFACT

Abstract

Given the fact that over time the word art (and its derivatives) has acquired and benefits from a wide range of meanings, we find it necessary to make some terminological clarifications and review the meanings with which the lexeme is being used in theoretical research in this field. The approach has an interdisciplinary character, with aspects taken mainly from studies dedicated to the visual arts.
At the semantic level, we note the existence of two terms, with common Latin roots, namely ars, artis, specialized to indicate intellectual work (artist) and physical or mechanical work (craftsman). This is because in our times, more often than not, the artist does nothing but conceive the work and it is the craftsman who works with his hand or with modern techniques and actually produces art objects. And the handmade product (“made by hand”) or artifact (“made with art”) is invested with the title of work of art if it is conceived / created by a plastic artist recognized as such by specialists (we refer to critics of art, gallery owners, museographers, collectors), while the craftsman gets lost in oblivion, or, in the happiest case, joins the ranks of anonymous people who worked in the workshop of a famous artist.