11 December 2006

craft research

On the http://www.craftscotland.org/ A Hutcheson makes this comment. "I recently attended a talk at Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre in Dundee, where the three presenters, originally from either a jewellery or textile background, referred to crafts as the ‘c’ word, and apologised whenever the craft word appeared, in his/her presentation." What a sad inditement. Do we as craftspersons now not only have to find other names for ourselves to maintain credibility, but to apologise when we use the word CRAFT?
We should be standing up for ourselves: We should carry the name "Craftsperson" with dignity and pride: We should produce work worthy of the high standard and quality traditionally expected of a craftsperson. We should walk with our heads held high!

06 December 2006

A story of craft

I read a wisdom story, called product line.
1. There used to be an American trader arrived at a small town in Mexico. He met a craftsman there, who was making and selling delicate baskets, which only cost 2 cents. The trader bought one back to America. His friend saw the basket and was willing to buy it on the price of 1.75 dollars. Friend also wanted to buy as many as the trader could offer. The trader went back to Mexico immediately. He wanted to buy a great deal of baskets from the craftsman. But he got a rejection. The trader asked the craftsman why he refused such a big business. 2. The craftsman said: “look, I made the basket along my own thinking. Every morning, when the sun comes out, the birds start to sing, butterfly stop on my work. I knit the song and my soul into it. That is the reason why the butterfly can stop and I can make. If I made a lot of them, there won’t be a song, neither my soul, then every basket is the same. It will erode my heart.”

So what is your thinking about this story? Do you think the meaning come from the part 2? Such as the unique value in each craft process which distinct the hand making from machine producing?

As you may see, the thing annoyed me is why a delicate basket only sell 2 cents, especially when the craftsman knit his soul into it? Should he be angry with the price? What is the value of craft in market/economy?...

It is a story or not just a story…