Maker Faire Louisville 2025

Art and Science of Knot Tying

Home: Kentucky, United States of America

What is knotting? Is it the art of knotting or is it a craft? I would like to propose that knots and knotting are first a craft and secondly an art. The simple act of tying a knot is not necessarily an art or an artistic endeavor. When knots are used as a functional tool to accomplish a task they are a skill or tool used by a craftsman. When knots are used to create something for more than a utilitarian purpose it qualifies as art. When a knot tyer teaches a class to make a knotted bottle or a bell-pull, they are teaching a skill but for the purpose of more than creating a functional item. Knotting is both a craft, serves a purpose, and art, adds artistic value, when done to make a functional item a thing of beauty.