Author: New Museum of Contemporary Art (New York, N.Y.)

Publisher:

Published: 1996

Total Pages: 98

ISBN-13:

"A Labor of Love uses over one hundred often intricate and labor-intensive works of art and installations by Pier Consagra, Dianna Frid, Liza Lou and forty-seven other artists to explore the definitions and categorizations which have separated decorative and hobby arts, craft, outsider and folk art from the fine arts. Supported by brief artists statements, an in-depth essay by director Marcia Tucker examines the distinctions between "amateur" and "professional" artists; the impact of feminist theory and practice in ideas of domestic labor and art making; the different values assigned to work made in the public and private realms; the place of handiwork in American culture today; and the traditional separation of high art from the quotidian. "I'm not trying to say that there is no difference at all between art and life, aesthetics and politics. Now do I believe that folk and fine, high and popular art are the same; there are differences in relation of making to community; differences in intent and value; in function and in form, purpose, training, context; opportunity, reception, etc., that are neither simple nor singular. But when works of art elude and thus destabilize accepted categories, they encourage us to think about how, when, and for what purpose the categories were created." --Publisher.