Art, Contemporary Craft, and the Traditional Handcrafts

  

     This is a very interesting subject. Over the past few years I have been reading what I can find on the subject.  After reading all this material, it's hard to try to write a short post on the subject. Hard? I'd say impossible. If the subject is contained on many books, I doubt I will be able to get anywhere near a conclusion. In fact there may not be one. Time will tell.  I'm trying to look at this partly culturally or in the way our culture sees art and craft, very broad. But I also have my personal reasons as a maker of things. Or I could say my desire to individualize the definitions of art and craft.  I'm trying to make a living doing it, so there are issues or questions that drive this for me from that perspective as well.

     I'm going to try to ramble away at this. This will be a work in progress. Some of the thoughts/ concepts are based on what I have learned from the reading I've done. I will not be able to bring you up to speed. If you really like this subject read some of the books I have listed at the end. Maybe this will be in parts as I learn more about this or as we all do. I also want to add that I've gotten into heated arguments on this subject as well. I am not attacking you personally. But, in the spirit of debate,  I may question ideas. Our ideas are not us, but that's a whole other topic.


      I'm sitting at a table at the local market selling my wares. I have some wooden spoons, birch bark baskets, wooden bowls, etc. Many of the things are decorated. A friend walks by and says I have great art and refers to me as an artist. I ask her why is this art? why am I an artist? The replies are always similar. "because they are beautiful","because you are creative", "because these things are uncommon","because your a professional","because you are skilled",etc.....None of these reasons make me an artist or what I make art. None. Why? Here is the rant.....beautiful is subjective, almost anything is beautiful to someone. A car can be viewed as beautiful, is the designer called an artist by folks on the street? No. Is the car called art? No. The same goes for professional and skilled. Both of these reasons can be taken apart as well. Doctors and mechanics are both skilled and professionals, do we as a society view them as artist? No. When we look up the word art, there are many definitions, 16+, there is a definition that relates to "the art of".....surgery, "the art of "car mechanics. Those that understand or are the master of "the art of " cannot be artists. Why? Because we as a culture we simply do not see them that way. You can if you wish, but there will be a serious cause and effect that we are in full swing of right now. I feel that we are unconsciously changing the definitions of the word art or craft for that matter at our own peril. Could it be that we are so needy for positive reinforcement for what we do, in this modern world, that the word "art" and "artist" makes us feel better about ourselves? what we do? or are the financial benefits of selling craft as art driving this, or both. What about the modern industrial manufacturing process and the rarity of the handmade, how does this affect art and craft, or our cultural definitions of the words. Obviously my friend thought that because what I make is hand made and fairly rare, that it was special, that it was art. Is art special? is craft special? Personally I am a simple spoon carver and bowl turner, a woodworker. Historically I would have been at pretty low class status. Craft is low class status with it's roots in the vernacular. That is what I feel we need to come to terms with.

     I believe the words like art, craft, etc....have lost some of their meanings or have been blurred over time and through the industrial production era of our past. The definitions have changed.  I believe that today, in the modern world, with the current blurred definitions, that it comes down to the first intended purpose of what we create, it's function. Yes, art has a function. If I carved a spoon and wanted to try to communicate some emotion or experience to the viewer, first and foremost, then I have created art. Art communicates first and foremost. If the spoon was intended to be used as true to it's original utilitarian design or purpose than its a craft item. Craft items are based in utility, decorated or not.

     When what have been historically craft mediums  clay, wood, and iron, or craft techniques carving, forging, weaving are used for communicating i.e "art" in the form of sculpture, what is it? Art or craft? I would argue that it is art and should be judged by the art world, with the sets of aesthetic requirements that the art world and it's academia has developed over the past few hundred years. If the woven sculpture cannot be accepted into the art world, too bad. It can't be both craft and art. If your turning a wooden bowl to be set and looked upon as beautiful, created to convey the woods beauty, it is a turned sculpture in the form of a bowl. It cannot be craft. Yes, it can be made with craft materials or craft techniques but if its intent/purpose is aligned with art or sculpture, to communicate some idea or feeling, it is not craft. The craft purpose or intent of a bowl is to be used to hold something in it. Always has always will.  I believe the word craft has been hijacked by artists. This doesn't help the understanding of what craft means, it makes it more confusing for all of us. If craft today means some sculpture woven with strips of rubber that cannot be used or a piece of exotic wood with twists and curls and a little dished out area and it's called a spoon? I do not want any part of it. These things are art made with craft materials and techniques. The contemporary craft world is promoting craft techniques and materials as art. So are they artist or crafts folk? Either way their seems to be some sort of identity crisis.

     My purpose and intent is to make utilitarian items, designs for use i.e. spoons, bowls, baskets. They are craft because that is my intent for them and their history and purpose lodged within their design. These items can be put on the wall, but they are not art, at least to me, because I didn't make them as art or to communicate somethings as their intended purpose. If the owners of my painted spoons want to be like Duchamp and create a "ready made" art object with my spoon. Then they are, though the art world would argue, the artist, by trying to communicate something with the item I created. I am a craftsman(if I was a women I would be a craftswomen) what I create is craft, traditional handcraft.

Traditional handcraft. This is where my work lies. The meaning is pretty self explanatory. It may not be perfect but it's better than craft or art. It works.  Could there be a National Traditional Handcrafts Association? There already is, we just have to start talking. Join in, but remember this is all a work in progress.......

Some related books-I'd be into hearing more titles if anyone knows of any.
The Culture of Craft by Dormer
The Theory of Craft by Risatti
The Unknown Craftsman by Yanagi
The Craftsman by Sennet

Weaving Birch Bark with Vladimir Yarish

     This past week I had the rare chance to weave a few baskets under the tutelage of the world renowned Russian birch bark weaver Vladimir Yarish.  Vladimir has a book out on the subject and it's titled Plaited Basketry with Birch Bark. The book will give you some insight into the process and history of this style of weaving. North House had set up this class for instructors while Vlad was in the area teaching at the school and in Grand Rapids, MN. From what I understand he will be in New England for a bit and then back to Russia. He has a website here where you can find more info to where he is teaching in New England, just click on classes on his website.
     Vlad was an awesome teacher who didn't take sloppy work or "good enough" as acceptable. He made you take it apart and start again. I really appreciated this as a student but also as an instructor.  It seems at times that some students have a hard time dealing with their mistakes or constructive criticism. As many of the "professionals" or experienced makers and teacher know, is that mistakes are a very important part of learning. Many of us don't even see the experience or use the word mistakes at all. It is simply part of the larger process. But in classes, folks aren't all their for the same reasons. Some folks simply want to try it out. I understand this. But Vlad simply demanded it be done right, and being done right and perfect are very different things. It is a proud feeling when you go back and make it a little better than the first time. The beauty of this type of basketry, but would argue anything being made, is that going backward is really not that hard to do. It just takes a little time. As an old friend and mentor would say "sometimes you have to go backward to go forward". I'll be weaving more bark in the future and sometimes, I will be going backwards.....

 Here are some photos, Vladimir's work speaks for itself.

material ready to weave

Vladimir prepping some birch bark

my basket underway

Vladimir's boots

Wille Sundqvist, Sweden and Ash Log Harvest

     This will be an excellent film. This man is pretty much responsible for 1000's of wooden spoon being carved around the world. Here's the link to info on the film project here at Peter Follansbee's blog. I'll hopefully finally be able to meet him when I get over to Sweden to teach this summer at Taljfest or Carvefest. Check out these links for more info here is the Taljfest facebook page and here is the info  at the website of Saterglantan, Sweden's premier folk school where it will be held.
     Today we had some visitors and new friends from Germany and Austria and a new local friend who is learning basketry from April stop by today to help harvest and pound an ash log. Got a few photos and a short video.

   

tree falling

lots of heart wood

hauling it out

peeling the log before pounding

close up of rings ready to be pulled off

     Maples are flowing better and looks like I'll be boiling some sap tomorrow. Then off to take a birch bark weaving class with Vladimir Yarish, a well known Russian birch bark weaver, who will be up at North House.

     I'm still writing on the whole art and craft subject. It's seems to be turning into a chapter of info. I might have to change my ideas on how I want to approach the subject.

Replica Snowshoes and New Sugar Shack.

     Snow is melting, spring is here, still waiting for a bit more snow to recede so I can find that tool I left out and have been missing since December.
     I've finished the replica snowshoes and they turned out pretty nice. These shoes are a near extinct style that are still made and used in the north by the Cree. But to find a historical pair, which is what I copied for these, from this far south and west in something of a treat for me. I believe this style of shoe turned into what we call today the Ojibwe style shoes. The difference is that these have a very sharp turn at the just the tip of the shoe, which the modern Ojibwe's don't. The modern shoes have more of the toe bent up than just the tip. Most of the historic shoes in northern Wisconsin that I've seen are more the the round toe shoes. Anyway, these have a real tight weave which was pretty much the norm before the manufactured snowshoe era of the early 1900's to present. They also have some tufts of colored wool cloth with the main section wrapped with red wool, again pretty standard stuff for the 1800's. The shoes I copies were from the mid 1800's and belonged to a Metis (mixed blood French and Native) named Pierre Bottineau who was a fairly important figure in Minnesota history in the mid 1800's. There is a fascinating account of some of his history as well as some info of the late fur trade era here.

     We've also spent some time this past week building a new "sugar shack" for boiling down the maple sap into syrup. This will be covered by tarps and the top area will have a split basswood shingle covered copula along the ridge. I'll post more pictures when its in full operation later this week. It looks like we'll have a good "run" of sap on Wednesday and Thursday. I hope we have a good year. Last year we didn't tap due to an extreme heat wave in the early spring.

There is another post brewing in my mind relating the the words "art" and "craft" and how we've come to use them in this modern era. I've been reading what I can on the subjects and it comes down to me wanting to severe my ties with the modern craft world. I think they have hijacked the word "craft" in their quest to be artists/sculptors to nobodies benefit. More on that one later.........

Bowl of Spoons and Thought of Sugaring Season

     I have been preoccupied with making some of those wooden brooms I posted about, spoon carving (imagine that), developing a spoon carving knife with my friend and blacksmith KJ Groven, tapping maple trees and general sugar bush stuff and teaching a few classes, oh yea and I'm making a pair of replica snowshoes for a museum exhibit. The snowshoes will get their own blog post soon.
     Spring is almost full swing and most days will be filled with hauling 100's of gallons of sap, hopefully. Last year the weather was so unusual that we couldn't tap. Having to by maple syrup was a real eye opener. Our ultimate goal is to use nothing but local sugars so this spring season is an important one.
     Here's a few photos...

we're ready for the run

some spoons ready for paint and or oil

time in with the crooked knife

An Obscure Item from the Past

     Here's something that is new to me, but really pretty old. It's a broom made from one piece of wood. The grain is cut in then peeled back. Then the fibers are turned over and bound. Solid wood broom or a split/splint wood broom as they are sometime known as have a rich history that seems to almost be forgotten.
     I have an old article/study by a fellow in Michigan originally published in the early 30's. His research took him to Walpole Island and he observed an Ojibwe man making these. Looks as if these were made by many of the tribes that also made splint baskets. They were an early trade item made and sold to white settlers.
     The claim is that this technique is unique to North America. Any readers in Europe heard of this technique?
     Another wooden marvel lost in time.

First You Tube Short-Spoon Carving with a large handled spoon knife

     This is a very short and quickly made video. I'm testing the waters with this one. The tool I'm using is a large handled spoon knife. In Welsh it's know as a Twca cam. I did a little post on this tool last year. This on is designed by my friend and professional spoon carver Barn Carder. He is one of the organizers of Spoonfest and lives in the UK. This tool is tricky to get to learn how to use, but once you put your time in it gets real good. This type of hook knife was used by production spoon carvers all over the Europe. It has a lot torque with the large diameter handle. Great for carving all day so you can still pick up a fork at dinner time. I'm looking to put up a few more later this winter/spring.