Do you work wood in a "shop" or a "studio"?

[Swingman]

Damn ... ROTFLMAO!! ... lord, that hurts.

[Stephen M]

Funny choice or words,

After I built my addition which includes a S-H-O-P over the garage, (which BTW is a nicely finished space with large windows and a skylight) my father commented that it If I ever sell the house, the room would make a great "artist's studio"

Maybe I should be insulted? ;-)

-Steve

[dave]

Oddly enough, it does seem to shake out much like that. It's a strange world. Speaking of which, I was told, and I may have lost a leg here, that in SF if you can't make bail the city will do it for you. Is that for real?? What's the point of bail. I'd disbelieve it except for some of the strange rulings I've seen come out of that circuit court. Dave in Fairfax

[Charlie Self]

Stephen M notes:

Probably not. My shop IS a studio. It's where I shoot photos for books and articles. Right now, that's a 16' x 21' garage with a single circuit, and far too many tools, light stands, tripod and such crap to make moving around much fun. And it's unheated. When I get home--the Realtor is holding an open house Sunday, so y'all keep your fingers crossed--I'll have a real shop that I can also call a studio.

But it will still be a mess, though it has probably 15 circuits.

Charlie Self "Take care of the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves." Dorothy Parker

[Ron Magen]

Ah, the eye, or perception, of the beholder.

Does anybody else remember the early TV show, 'Life of Riley' with William Bendix ? This 'thread' {and YES, it has been 'done' in the past} reminded me of an episode. The family had a garage that 'fronted' on an alley behind the house. Since they didn't have a car{or some other reason}, they decided to rent it for some extra cash. The woman answering the advert talked about using it as a 'Gallery'. The wife jumped on it immediately, signing her to a contract, and stating to the family how it would add 'tone' to the neighborhood.

Everything goes well until they are invited to the 'opening'. She swings the garage door up and it is indeed a 'gallery' . . . a 'Shooting Gallery' - just like the ones on the old Atlantic City boardwalk - complete with .22 'pump' rifles !!

SURPRISE !!

Regards, Ron Magen Backyard Boatshop

[jo4hn]

If you make stoneware pots, you are a potter. If it's porcelain figures, you are a ceramicist. j4 (builder of fine hi-fire kilns and whose ex was both)

[Doug Miller]

Nope, don't watch much TV. No cable. Never saw any episode of South Park.

I remember hearing that growing up, too, but from classmates, not from Dad.

-- Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

How come we choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?

[Silvan]

Hee... I can see myself in a similar spot. It's not a shop, it's a shed. Oh. Um. It's not a shed, it's a shop!

[K.-Benoit Evans]

I think you are right that often the choice of a word for a workplace is based on the perceived or desired value of what is produced.

While it is true that strictly speaking a "studio" is a place where a painter, sculptor or photographer works, the word is in fact used by others.

Google gives about 97,000 (97 thousand) hits for the exact expression "woodworking studio". Some of the references are to woodworking schools that call themselves "studios", some are to workshops used by very serious and (I suppose) esthetically advanced woodworkers and some are just workshops that can be rented or shared with others.

The question is where to draw the line between the "fine arts" and the "useful arts". Generally the fine arts so not involve creations designed to fulfill some utilitarian function. However, there is certainly artistry involved in designing and building furniture and there is a level of work where a unique design and its realization in wood is more than mere craftsmanship (which while noble and praiseworthy is usually derivative and not highly creative in the way a painting or scupture is.

Basically, those who say "woodworking studio" are emphasizing the fine arts aspect of their work either because such woodworkers are artists or because they want customers and critics to think they are, thus increasing the value of their work.

As for those who have suggested in various ways that "woodworking shop" is the manly, viril, macho word and "ww studio" the gay, pansy, fruity word, well hey boys, when you get a little older and a bit more mature maybe you'll put aside such childish musings.

[K.-Benoit Evans]

No, but then I don't invite strangers into my toilet to admire the form and colour of my "creations" and (if they have enough money) take one home with them or commission me to make a special one just for them.

[Bay Area Dave]

you are talking about the 9th Circuit. don't get me started on THAT subject!

dave

[e-mail] wrote:

[Bay Area Dave]

I'm dating myself, but yes, I remember "The Life of Riley". Watched it as a little tyke.

dave

R> Ah, the eye, or perception, of the beholder.

[C]

I know another fellow who used to date himself until he found the perfect woman. Now he wishes he were still dating himself.

[Silvan]

He probably still *is*.

[Gary Greenberg]

A studio, to me, connotes a place where creativity is as much a part of the production as mastery of that production itself with the CAVEAT that we're talking about a place that's Earned the right to be called a studio--like when you see the woodwork and feel the wind being sucked out of your lungs with a "Damn,...." pulling it along.

Webster's defines Studio as: The working room of an artist. In this case, I think `studio' is being used instead of shop because he produces both art and furniture and his furniture is a work of art.

The reality is that IF any of us discussing this built furniture as well as Heitzman does, we could call our place of production whatever we want and charge whatever we want 'cause the market is there for it. I'd love to be that good!

By the way, mine's a shop ;-}

Cheers, Gary

[Ron Magen]

Then I guess you could call our two Malamutes 'Artists' and the back drive their 'Studio' because they certainly produce some 'artful pieces' !!

Regards, Ron Magen Backyard Boatshop {and if you think I'm kidding . . . I'll give you odds, that if I 'spray' them with epoxy, let it fully cure, and make up some 'spiel' . . . SOMEBODY

*WILL* buy it . . . e-bay or otherwise !! - Remember the 'Pet Rock' ? Or 'Plastic Dog Shit Hide-a-Key' ?}

[Mark]

Don't you mean the difference is in the type of work you do?

I'm smoking product with my left hand and drinking product from a product with my right. I'm using product to produce this product. I just flushed product using rolled product to wipe product.

God, I hate that word.

/rant

Mark, who has never made a product, everything's had a name.

[Bridger]

having lived in too many "studio" apartments and now having a house that is bigger than I really need and a building to work in that is bigger than any of those "studio" apartments, I call that building in the back yard a shop. it has nothing to do with needing to assert my masculinity. heh, my masculinity asserts itself : ^ ) Bridger

[Dave Mundt]

I call my shop the workshop when I mention I am going to go out and do something in it. I call it the "studio" when I am selling items made in it. Amazing how something made in a studio is worth SO much more than something made in a shop. (*smile*). Regards Dave Mundt

[Robert Bonomi]

I'll admit to having (fake Spanish) pretensions of grandeur.

Thus, the place where I construct sawdust is named:

Canta Forda WoodWorking Studio