Painting a wooden bowl turned on a lathe and terming the effort 'Turning Wood' is sort of like painting a sunset on a canvas and calling the effort 'Weaving Cloth'.
A good turner who knows nothing about the craft is sort of like a good driver who knows nothing about internal combustion engines. Do both need to know engineering, physics, topology, golden entangles and Canuck curves? "It ain't necessarily so."
What vast turning knowledge? A turner's inspiration has more to do with breathing in than with divine influence. A Chimp doesn't need to drink deep from some Pierian Spring. He just needs to secure a balanced blank, stay on his side of the toolrest, rub the bevel, lead the flute, lag the scraper and reduce the speed when the lathe starts to shake. It's very likely that the chimp will turn something that knowledgeable turners will critique ad nauseum, while some layman is buying it.
Most successful businesses make things that the public either wants or needs and can afford. Some woodturners seek success by turning things that they themselves want and don't need on a lathe they can't afford.
Just because a piece is useless doesn't make it fine art and calling it art doesn't make it so. When an ignoramus reveals his ignorance by making fun of a work of art, it diminishes him not the work.
It's not timber, tools nor shop. _ITTS _ "It's The Turner Stupid". It's the turner that does the turning, not the equipment.
Did I get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning and have a cold breakast? You think? Naw! I'm just a crotchety ole coot, a COC in turner's clothing. :)
Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter