We’ve always had this notion of an artisan whose only work is to reproduce other people’s original creative idea. That’s the awful truth. When we find a pair of silver cufflinks that we like, we often place high regard on the designer and not on the people who actually crafted the cufflinks.
Such is a dilemma with regards to the essence of creativity as being dependent on the creative idea or on the creative practice. In other words, it is often a toss between being imaginative and being skilled. Artists are said to have both. Artists are therefore differentiated from designers and craftsmen in a sense that they are both the creator of the idea and the creator of the work of art per se.
Only a designer who is also capable of crafting her own design is a true artist. Same goes, an artisan who is spontaneously executing an idea deserves the same regard.
One good example of a work of great craftsmanship that has the artisan’s handwork and imagination all over it is the Green Oval Art Glass Cufflinks. The details on this glass cufflinks showcase, not only the quality of the materials used, but also the sharp imagination of the craftsman.
It is safe to say that the designer’s only contribution on this handiwork is the idea of mounting glass art on sterling silver. We can say that the choice of shapes and colors is also determined by the jewelry designer. But the thing that makes the cufflinks look as mesmerizing is it does now is the work of the simultaneously working hand and mind.
