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Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

mastery vs artistry

English answer:

craftsmanship vs artistry?

Added to glossary by B D Finch
Aug 23, 2016 12:16
7 yrs ago
5 viewers *
English term

mastery vs artistry

English Marketing Textiles / Clothing / Fashion
I need a catch phrase for my friend who's weaving bags or carpets on a manual loom. I've come up with the following:

"Handmade with Romanian mastery" OR "Handcrafted with Romanian artistry".

I personally favour the first, but I need your native English opinion :) Many thanks.
Responses
3 +5 craftsmanship vs artistry?
Change log

Aug 23, 2016 22:50: writeaway changed "Field" from "Art/Literary" to "Marketing"

Sep 2, 2016 09:55: B D Finch Created KOG entry

Discussion

B D Finch Sep 2, 2016:
Re "artistically" I think the words "artistic" and "artistically" can have unfortunate connotations as they tend to be used by people who are not involved in the visual arts, e.g. by a fond (non-artist) parent about their 10-year-old. Perhaps I'm influenced by the fact that I used to cringe when my parents described me to their friends as "artistic", at the same time as they would only allow "smelly oil paints" to be used in the garage.
Adela Porumbel (asker) Aug 24, 2016:
Thank you all! Thank you so much, now I see the mistake I made with "mastery"! I will give her a couple of options as per your suggestions!
Yvonne Gallagher Aug 24, 2016:
None of the possibilities mentioned work for me. I really think "Romanian" doesn't work at all in this kind of expression. As BDF says, it's not clear what is the most important aspect of the work to be highlighted? Craft or artistry?

Maybe "artistically handcrafted in Romania" (lots of ghits) or "entirely handmade artistry (from Romania)" would sound a bit more idiomatic?

Responses

+5
2 hrs
Selected

craftsmanship vs artistry?

Certainly not "mastery", but as the two words have quite different meanings and as you have not explained what idea you wish to convey, it is difficult to help you. By "mastery", I am guessing that you really mean "craftsmanship" and this is the most likely to apply if what you mean is mastery of the craft of weaving. "Artistry" would be appropriate if what your friend was doing was producing work in order to express their thoughts and/or feelings in a skilled and sensitive manner that communicated with the viewer.

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Note added at 2 hrs (2016-08-23 14:44:27 GMT)
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There is also a problem with "Romanian artistry" as one cannot attribute artistry to an entire nation, it is far too rare and personal for that. However, "Handmade with Romanian craftsmanship" might fit the bill. Romanian weaving probably has differences of both style and technique, as compared with weaving from other countries.
Peer comment(s):
agree Tina Vonhof (X)
26 mins
Thanks Tina
agree Helena Chavarria
3 hrs
Thanks Helena
agree Lara Barnett : "Handmade with Romanian craftsmanship"
3 hrs
Thanks Lara
agree Veronika McLaren
9 hrs
Thanks Veronika
agree Harry Crawford
6 days
Thanks Harry
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
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