What a great class. I am so impressed with the various ways you have of looking at the material we read and the individual knowledge you share. Thank you.
The division between art and craft or function and non function is an on going aspect of art education. I was lucky enough to have an outstanding high school art teacher who taught us to make things, make them well while encouraging us to explore what we wanted to say/express. He knew the argument between art and craft was not going to be settled any time soon so we just played with material. He would challenge us to push ourselves towards our goals. And to allow ourselves to change our minds.
If you like arguments, there is a book that presents many of today's leading debates, "Nation Building:Craft and Contemporary American Culture", edited by Nicholas R Bell, 2015.
By now you should have some idea of what you want to work on for your final. This is not a studio class and there will not be critique, this is a seminar and I am interested in your motivation, your process/progress, and how it is was influenced or informed by our readings.
Future, thank you for the well wishes. I am feeling better. I also would like your feedback on my thought for a final project. Am I on a track here that would work?
ReplyDeleteDiana McCutcheonFebruary 20, 2017 at 12:23 PM
I also have a longing for thread. As I mentioned early on, time in my youth was spent with my aunts and grandmother and first attempts at needlework. I have an idea for my final project. Not sure how to present it. But I would like to combine painting, needlework and objects from childhood into a canvas of remembering my childhood. Then I also like to do one for my daughter Jennifer. She has a brain disorder and had a brain tumor removed this past June. Sometimes she has difficulty in remembering things from her childhood. So I would like to create a canvas called remembering for Jennifer. I have been cleaning out my garage in anticipation for a move, and after watching so many PBS episodes on craft became inspired. I'm not sure how I will pull it off, technically but am giving it thought.
Should I just focus on one? I'm envisioning a large canvas. And mixed media with fabric, clothing, paper collage, objects and needlework. I'm motivated by the needlework I watched on PBS, childhood memories, my own longing to work with thread and Yarn and embroidery/needlepoint again. I am in the process of a move, so I better gather my supplies up before it is in a box that I cannot find!
DeletePick just one..the one that calls you the strongest. And in place of a canvas and paint which would not really fall into our studio craft arena think of thread and cloth, the objects could be symbolized on the cloth
DeleteOk. Thanks! That helps!
Delete1. What surprised you? One thing that stood out to me was the Massachusetts Drawing Act of 1870 (pg 80). I think the reason it did is that we, as teachers and specifically art teachers, seem to be trying to validate the need for art courses. In Oklahoma, as I'm sure is the case in other places, the arts are being cut drastically if not removed completely from schools. It makes me wonder if we need something similar the the Drawing Act to ensure that the Arts and Crafts continue to thrive.
ReplyDelete2. What impressed you? What impressed me the most was the section on Tiffany. The technique he used on the bowl (pg 67) where turned the inside edge down to make the bowl appear thicker is ingenious. I also didn't know the history of how he came to make jewelry and not compete against his father. The peacock necklace he made is absolutely stunning!
3. What are you taking away with you? For me, this chapter was about less being more. That not everything has to be super ornate and decorative. Often I keep adding "one more thing" to my pieces and it ends up looking cluttered. I will definitely use this chapter and a bit of editing for my final.
Speaking of the final...I know I'm going to do some sort of glass art, and am leaning towards something stained glass. I haven't yet tried my hand at stained glass so it will be a learning experience for sure.
Katy, in my district the Fine Arts are upheld as crucial to a student's education. Our programs seem to be mostly secure, at least in principle. I have no doubt though that if times grew very tight, art education, especially the visual arts would once again be considered an area for cuts. I think that in elementary, the main reason that visual arts is currently secure is that it gives a dedicated time for core subjects to have collaboration time. The school day has become so packed by curriculum, standardization, data collection and initiatives that classroom teachers must have an uninterrupted block of time in the day without students, otherwise they would be planning and strategizing until 8pm each night.
DeleteDavid: When Benjamin Franklin created the first public education curriculum, he thought the most important subjects were reading, writing, arithmetic, bilingual education, and DRAWING! We got rid of teaching German during WW1 (that sure taught those Germans a lesson?), and as we defund art in public education, I think Franklin would roll over in his grave.
DeleteKaty,I had never seen that Tiffany bowl either and really loved it! Just beautiful!
DeleteStain glass would be great. Look at contemporary artists also.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure what can save art in schools. I know art will survive, just look at street art and art on the internet and social media. I fear schools are becoming test factories that simply cause a larger divide between those who know the system and those who want out of the syste.
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ReplyDeleteWhat surprised you?
ReplyDeleteI was surprised by the many communities that popped up. It’s sad that many of them did not survive. But it also very hard sometimes for artist to see the appeal of marketing and advertising. Those that could bridge this gap became more successful than their counter parts.
What impressed you?
What impressed me was the amount of artist that came from overseas to lead the arts and craft revolution. I was also impressed with how many artist went overseas to train. But I can see how not having schools to help in this regard would limit the availability of education in America.
What are you taking away?
I am taking away that you need to be an artist or craftsman or woman, and have a business mind. That to be successful requires both the creative power and the marketing power. Also, that education is a key role in the process of developing new artist and craftsman.
Final project: I am continuing with knitting and will maybe try my hands at embroidery, also. I like the portability of knitting and once you get started it can be very relaxing and therapeutic.
you could try embroidery on your knitting...make your own rules
DeleteI was actually thinking of doing that.
DeleteI was most surprised by the section on Frank lloyd Wright. P.49 “The machine would be humankind's salvation in disguise...” I was honestly surprised to see Wright in the book, although after the reading, I can see the rational for his inclusion. I was not very familiar with his work, beyond an art history highlight, and found it interesting that he had faith in industry to help balance craft and commerce for society. I remember liking his architecture and his rich attention to detail. It certainly struck me as an exclusive style and this fits with what I read in the Makers book.
ReplyDeleteThe Wright section leads into what impressed me about the reading. I like how the early American craft pioneers seemed to approach their work with a philosophical perspective. Some leaning towards Ruskin and Morris's idealistic search for worker satisfaction and others tending to strive for using the craft market to better their society through aesthetic enhancements. Both perspectives seemed to have a hard time balancing their goals with economic sustainability. On page 53., the section about how The Gates Pottery Co. was able to achieve “both aesthetic and financial success” was interesting. Gate's company also shared ceramic secrets and implemented industry “in accordance with Arts and Crafts concepts of ideal working conditions. William Price was a curious case, having both a successful crafts community in Arden and a dismal project in the failed Rose Valley.
I'm taking away thoughts of the current Arts and Crafts training in America and how public education is or isn't an effective conduit for its successful development. I enjoyed reading about the historical development of America's education system and gained a better understanding of how we got to where we are today. It is interesting that some of the principles that were somewhat discarded by public education are finding their way back through current initiatives. On p. 82, it mentions how John Dewey thought that learning is best acquired through direct experience. In my district, direct experience and student relevance are very hot topics. I very much agree with the concepts of these approaches and have found them effective in the art classroom. However, I have also seen instances of overload in student led instruction and have noticed times when the learning gained appeared very superficial. I think relying on apparent student engagement can be misleading at times. It is certainly a major check point on the new teacher evaluation system in Texas, which is good, but, especially in art, I have found that a quiet, introspective mind might seem idle, but can lead to great creativity. I like how craft-work seems to place a high value on both personal satisfaction and creativity and overall production (industry) and striving for a beneficial sense of community. I believe these are very relevant pursuits in the education of youth today.
I too find the various ways of conceiving arts communities to be interesting and a foreshadowing of today's education. And I am amazed we still do not address how to sustain an art career throughout lives.
DeleteI think the hard part about sustaining an art career is that your not taught how to create art that still speaks to you as an artist and also to the general public as well. I read a novel where the main character was struggling with how to create art that met his artistic needs but at the same time would sell. I think that's a part of what I struggle with as an artist. How do I create art that has a meaning to me and appeals to the public. I think that artist struggle to find that balance.
Deleteexcellent point..I have no answers for you. Long ago I accepted I would need a "day job" to support the habit called art
DeleteNigel, that is one reason I really enjoy craft work, especially functional crafts like pottery. When I'm making a cup or vase, it seems like half the battle is won because I feel confident that someone would like to drink coffee from it and see the vase filled with flowers. Of course, this does nothing to help with my biggest art career issue- unbridled introversion. I have always had a hard time promoting my work and myself. I think this is another area that traditional fine arts programs don't address adequately. When I was at UT Austin, there was no class offered for undergraduate artists to learn how to take the first steps towards a successful art career. That was a while ago, so hopefully there is something in place now...
Delete"When I found the potter's wheel I felt it all over like a wild duck in water." I like this quote from George Ohr, because it sums up his whole playful, but dedicated persona. In his section of the book, I really saw a socially poetic aspect of clay that was not as highlighted in other ceramic artists in the book.
ReplyDelete"He created pots with human individuality, even calling them his 'mud babies'." (pg. 62). In the first chapter of the book I noticed a lot of emphasis on decoration, aesthetic, production, and economy. While the devotion to material and structures was apparent in the first part of the book, Ohr's comments on his work is very much a statements. The individuality of everything he made was important, because to him it wasn't about making a profit and building a school or artistic colony, but rather the work itself.
Reading about his work is interesting, because we see the framework in which he was creating. Many artists were banding together and creating communities, schools, companies, but individuality was key to Ohr's work. In certain ways was accepted in his time, as the ultimate goal of working with craft is the artist's hand feels present. However, the culture fostered by artists and society at the time was still very much resistant to his non-economy driven. However, even on an artistic scale I can see there is still harsh criticisms on how far outside the art world you can be before you are seen as less than. Noted by fellow ceramist Fredrick Hurten stating that Ohr was "Entirely without art training and altogether lacking taste."
I think I liked Ohr's work and section the most because his work is both a comment and a reaction to practicing artists around him. His work was very colorful and playful, but they often start with a functional body thrown with thinner walls so that he could easier manipulate the shape of the vessel. In this way I see the form influencing the function, as opposed to decorating a functional work.
I think it's important to teach student how to create functional objects and tools. I think when I teach clay I like to stick to functional objects like mugs and pots, because that's what I know about clay from what I learned. However, that may be a limiting outlook on clay as my students who are not going to study art are going to take with them what I tell them. Ohr would be a great artist to discuss in my classroom because his work encompasses both function and form. From there I think student could see how their hands are able to create things that both contribute practically and aesthetically.
Final Project update:
I've ordered some hardware to begin making some practice drums. I think I want to make some more "art-ful" drums that utilize materials not commonly associated with the instrument. For example I want to make drum heads by weaving leather, plastic, fabric, paper etc. and repurposing pails and buckets to create the body of the drum. By the end of this semester I hope to have one traditional percussive instrument (a cajon [basically a wooden box that you beat on]) so that I can play with surface decorations with paint and burning the wood and the experimental drums. The final product will be something that is visual and has a sound component as well.
So some of the techniques Im taking from the readings are using fiber techniques such as weaving, woodworking (including the burning), and embroidery. I'll be sure to take some pictures this week to share.
The individual artist against the world or just baiting the world. Always love how art is a little world of big personalities and stubborn attitudes.
DeleteYou ideas for a drum are great. Cant wait to see it/them. And if you can film a session when you actually play.
Good work.
Out of this entire section I also found Ohr to fascinating. He kept to his ideals but still found away to reach an audience with his art.
DeleteI also really liked the section on Ohr. I always struggle with to alter, or not to alter when I throw on the wheel. The clean, symmetrical forms are pleasing to me. I usually just make a calculated move where there's little option to turn back. It pays off... most times. Ohr's seemingly ease at experimentation seems very refreshing to me. I'm also working on a percussion project. I think a wood burned Cajon would look awesome. I wonder if it would significantly alter the tone. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteDAVID:
ReplyDeleteI was taken with several ideas in this reading. First was the idea that handwork was a good treatment for what was popularly called neurasthenia, or the neuroses of modern life. Today, we still recognize this as a respectable form of occupational therapy. I probably self-medicated on this handwork to take my mind off traumas and stress as I was growing up.
I also admired the Arts and Crafts jewelers who sought to create “hierarchies of taste” (p. 64) rather than “hierarchies of class.” This was an enlightened concept that distinguished their work from “social jewelry” (a new term for me) that displayed wealth through consumption.. As is typically the case for me, I really appreciated the work of Charles Rohlfs, whose furniture was wholly original. Even though he used less skilled butt joints in his work, his weird blend of styles reminded me of ancient reliquaries. But here I ran into my own woodworking snobbery. Most of today’s mass-produced furniture is of extremely low quality, so much so that I typically restored or redesigned antique furniture that was made so much more skillfully. No screws or nails were used, and the pieces were easier to repair for that fact alone. I used to hate working on veneered furniture, bust as I “rescued” most of my own furniture from garage sales and dumpsters, I began to understand what amazing grain patterns were available, especially in Mid-century Modern and Danish/Scandinavian designs. Almost 100% of my home is furnished with 50 -100 year old furniture. It’s an aesthetic decision based on a spendthrift philosophy from being a single father. I am still surprised how few people build or repair their own furniture. Older construction is typically much better quality than the mid-range stuff you can get at most furniture stores (and there is no particle board or sketchy fastening systems in their construction, either!) If you are willing to pay several thousands of dollars, you can still get some really skillfully built furnishings, but then it would be better to find a craftsperson who would make you one-of-a-kind custom pieces, not just furniture, but textiles, jewelry, glass, architectural detailing, and ceramics.
Ceramic arts mystifies me. There is so much to know and so many variables. My best friend is a nationally-known ceramic sculptor, but I will never have 5% of her knowledge. I can make original molds, and slip cast work, but glaze calculation is a science I have never explored. I’d defer to her glaze recommendations and clay bodies because she has it down. When I start to consider this, I now remind myself that the intricacies of fine woodworking are just as complex. I can recognize over 100 types of wood, and know how they all handle. And I have helped her with super-complex pieces that required very exact and complex wooden structures to support her work.
Glass blowing looks like something I could actually do well. I have watched many glass artists, and I believe I would catch on fairly quickly. I’ll never be a Tiffany or a Dale Chihuly, but it looks amazing. Unfortunately, the opportunities to learn this in an educational setting are limited by the enormous costs of the process. The Cleveland Art Institute has a fabulous facility which I visited 9 years ago.
Final Project Update: I typically bite off more than I can chew, but I am considering 3 options (and would love to do all 3)! 1) My love of woodworking has led me into building electric guitars, not copies of existing designs but my own designs. I even have harvested exotic-looking woods from trees I have grown. 2) I used to do a lot of beadwork as a boy. I recently saw some stunning peyote beading and am reading up on the technique. I’d like to make a fetish bag about creation. 3) Maybe getting over my mystification about ceramics? I will never have the time to learn to wheel throw, but I would ask my ceramicist-friend to help me fire and glaze some small relief pieces that I would make slip molds for.
David...pick one...they are all great ideas and adventures into crafts. You can do the other two later.
DeleteI agree with your assessment of handmade furniture..I have my grandmother's kitchen table and chairs...they are so easy to sit in, so sturdy and beautiful.
You know TTU offers glassblowing in the first summer session here in Lubbock.
David, I, too, admired the Arts and Crafts jewelers for their Hierarchies of taste. I thought it interesting that most jewelry was made in the kitchen and often designed to go with the Free Dress League. I think the biggest shock was Madeline Wynne's comment that "craft is primarily an aesthetic enterprise, not a demonstration of skill." I find this to be a bit of an contradiction. What do you think?
DeleteDebbie, perhaps the comment is inferring that to be a successful crafts enterprise your goods have to be in line with the tastes and fashions that are desired by a wide clientele, otherwise your venture will not be economically sustainable. This would seem to mesh with much of the readings so far. It is also interesting to me that many of the lasting craft enterprises have been educational oriented and not strictly commercial.
DeleteI really loved reading about Henry Chapman Mercer, about how he believed that folk art and fine art are inseperable , and that craft was the foundation of the arts (54). Speaking of folk art, I have to interject here one of my favorite places in Houston, its called Smither Park. John and Stephanie Smither were collectors of folk art and became benefactors of the park, working with The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, they embarked on this amazing collaborated art project that you just have to see in person. It is magnificent. The wall was sectioned off and assigned to artists around the nation to create their vision of a memory. Anything and anything that you can imagine went on this wall, even things you would not imagine using went into the wall. That is the innovative free spirited creativity of folk art. Here is a link below if you wish to visit the website. I encourage you to watch the video, and if you are ever in Houston, go see this park, it is amazing! That's all I have for now, I was at a conference this weekend in Oklahoma, I am exhausted.
ReplyDeletehttp://orangeshow.org/smitherpark/
Some art friends from long ago were in the parade! Wild and wonderful.
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ReplyDeleteWhat surprised me, is how many communities were formed one right after another and had so much going for them, and would last a while, but then die out. It was sad to me to see this cycle repeated over and over again whether it was a pottery or an arts and crafts more comprehensive community. Just noticing the trancience of art, of ideas, communities, and people. I just wish some of these ideas or communities could have been more lasting through the decades of time.
ReplyDeleteI was impressed by the Drawing Act of Massachusetts, and the importance that it held for the times and for art education then and into the future. I have to say that after teaching art for so many years in Texas, the subject has always felt less important than sports and other extra curricular. By the very fact that art is an elective and not a core subject seems to diminish the importance of it today. It seems to me, that Massachusetts took it pretty seriously, even if it was a bit rigid in how it was taught.
What I take away with me is the constant feeling of frustration of how to be an artist and economically survive in this economy today. I want to be true to my artistic self and I am more of a romanticist In This area than pragmatist My teaching does support my habit to some extent, but doesn't allow me the time and focus that I feel I need to really accomplish anything. It has been fascinating to see how artists handled business then and how it is handled now. I wish I liked business better. But it overwhelms me and takes some of my soul away! And yet I will probably end up like one of those old spinsters left on the property of Byrdcliffe still doing their craft if even in a diminished way publicly.
I did have an interesting and fun experience today. I went to Sherwin Williams to pick up some paint chips and the colors I am interested in were all named for historical arts and crafts people and movement. Roycroft pewter,Morris room grey, Ruskin room green, Buckram Binding, Dutch Tile blue, and Rookwood Blue green to name a few. I was drawn to these colors because of a color scheme that I have been working towards for over a year now. And I just got really tickled when I saw the names. Before taking this class, I wouldn't have had a clue about the connection to Arts and crafts in America.
I am in the midst of making a move to a new place before the end of March and getting over a horrible upper respiratory infection. So, I apologize for being last to post.
I am going to work on surface embroidery or crewel embroidery, and did pick up some supplies this weekend. I chose denim for the cloth.