It may be human nature or it may just be me, but as we get closer to the time frame I have lived, the book becomes more and more exciting. I have always loved history and this opportunity to discover (even having read this work half a dozen times) more about what I grew up with is stimulating and at time enlightening. Diana, this chapter continues a love affair with dinner ware so I am curious as to your take on that section.
For this week there are 3 additional questions that I would like for you to respond to based on your experience and preference not what you were taught or even what you have had to teach.
1. How important is the user to what you make?
2. How much do you need a community of makers in order to create?
3. Is it important to extend the title of an artist/ maker with cultural heritage information?
Enjoy.
Chpt. 6
ReplyDeleteI was surprised at how Calder got his start in art. We know him for his mobiles and stabiles as that is what is taught in the books. But I would love the chance to look at his jewelry pieces to see how they helped to influence him later in his life. I am still really impressed with the textile movement. How many of these artists worked alongside manufactures to see their designs come to fruition. I feel that the battle in textiles has still not gone away. With everything mass produced it still very easy to overlook the hand weavers of today. I was also impressed at how people were moved to make crafts accessible to all but stayed true to their artistic vision.
1. When I am drawing, or painting I not really thinking about the user. Drawing and painting is about me and what I want to express. I may think about the user and draw something that might appeal to the user but I usually am drawing for myself. As I work a getting better at knitting I am thinking about the user in terms of the type of yarn I want to use in future projects. If it’s a gift then I might want to go for a good quality yarn such as cashmere. If it’s for sale then I would still use good quality yarns or specialty yarn depending on the client and the use of the item. 2. Other than my time in university and teaching I have never been around a community of makers. I don’t feel that it is necessary to be in a community to create. I do think being in a community of makers can be a great motivation as an artist/ maker. I would truly love to be surrounded by a community of makers.
I often share this bit of Calder history, especially when I am visiting a classroom and they are working on mobiles..usually for a cross curriculum lesson on weights and measures...and no one wants to believe or believe me enough to include it in there lesson. I think it is an amazing aspect..he made beautiful one of kind pieces of jewelry but is only known for his off the cuff mobiles.
DeleteYour comments on yarn are important. Gifts have to be from the heart to a heart.
I was also surprised to learn that Calder made jewelry. I just recently got into his mobile art and designed a re-purposing lesson for my students using him as an inspiration. I must admit that I watched his circus video and found it quite an odd experience... his jewelry though, has as massive sense of style. It reminds me of ancient Egyptian jewelry. Actually, I was really impressed by the jewelry section this time. The uniqueness of design and openness to materials was very exciting. I really loved the pendant by Sam Kramer on p.190.
ReplyDeleteI was also impressed by the use of plywood as a furniture building material. There is nothing like the look of real wood in construction, but the molding and fluid forms that the Eames achieved made the industrial look fascinating. It was great how they found a niche to both practice their craft and contribute to the WW2 soldiers, p. 193.
I'm taking away inspiration today. After reading the incredible stories, especially Marguerite Wildenhain's, I had to go make some pottery. I pulled a stein and a bowl form. It felt good to get my hand into the clay. In a way, it made the readings even more meaningful. I liked reading about her “trial by fire” on p. 199. Working just for improvement and knowledge is very powerful. I miss when I really focused on my own skill building. Now, my creative time is so valuable to me that I feel I require a record of my accomplishment to feel successful. For me anyway, this satisfies my creative itch, but makes my development somewhat slower. I guess I need a bit of reckless abandon, artistically speaking of course.
Maybe in a way this class/this book have become a part of your community.
DeleteI've mostly been a solitary creator. I don't think that it is by design as much as a result of my personality. The times when I have had a creative community to collaborate with have been rewarding though. I think that I would have certainly enjoyed being a part of many of the craft communities that we have read about. I remember hearing about artists communes when I was younger and thinking that they sounded great. Although the idea was fascinating, I never even checked into the viability of such an experience.
DeleteAs far as the book goes, I have always felt that when I was viewing and learning about other artists, I was somehow seeking mentorship. I used the textual and graphic cues to gather facets of their knowledge and lessons of craftsmanship. I have enjoyed being part of the graduate program and have definitely felt like a member of a wonderful community of creative learners and educators.
As and educator, I have tried to mentor my students and guide their creative development. I have also gained creative wisdom directly from my work with students. This would unmistakably be a creative community, even though I've never really pictured it as such. Peer collaboration is a big push in our district right now, and I have been more conscientious about making time and situations that encourage my students to share ideas and teach/ mentor each other. There have been instances of positive student growth from this peer collaboration and I have noticed a psychological empowerment on the part of students as they discover the value in their knowledge and skills.
Nice reply. You know, the three questions I ask you to respond to each week are taken from a critique process I learned from a friend. By allowing the artist (student artist/ us as artist) to take ownership of the work and the reaction to/from the work allows for more conversation and community.
DeleteJames, I've also been a solitary creator! Unfortunately, I don't have a creative community (or the funds) to work with here locally. I don't know if my OCD tendencies would allow me to collaborate effectively though. As my boyfriend so lovingly pointed out today, I like to take control of creative things!!
DeleteI totally understand what you say about seeking mentorship, that's the way I am too. I'm craving knowledge and leadership as I go down this path.
I too am seeking mentorship, that's why I decided to do the MAE program and also why I'm looking to return to the States next year and get back to teaching. I also needed to better understand my role as and educator but also as an artist. I was told by my mentor teacher that you either had to choose to give your all to teaching or hold some back if you wanted to also be an artist. While I think we should strive for having the best programs, I believed that there had to be another way.
DeleteThose responsible some interesting comments, Nigel. I do think it is very difficult and can be very frustration to be an art educator and an artist in our current educational culture. I think it might be easier if teaching at the college or university level. It at least I imagine that it would be. Many of the craft artists in our book were teachers and artists. But I think that heir working culture was more conducive to art making, than the HS environment that I currently teach in. The current educational environment just doesn't always feel very friendly to or supportive of art making.
DeleteWell, I had a great post going and then it disappeared...gotta love technology! I'm going to see if I can recreate it!
ReplyDeleteI was surprised by the Alexander Calder section (pg 185-186). I didn't realize he began with jewelry, but once you know that you can see how easy it was to go to the mobiles/stabiles. I had to look up the Harps and Hearts and Jealous Husband pieces. Wow! I would absolutely love to see those in person. This section also made me think about how neat it would be to do a jewelry study with my students (maybe start with my Art Club) and let them create their own jewelry inspired by animals- taken from his Bird Brooch!'
The Gertrud and Otto Natzler section impressed me a lot. So much so that I am thinking of changing my final project to one inspired by his tile work after she passed away. The line on pg 197 that said Otto was "attracted to the mistakes, because they seemed to show more about the medium" stuck with me because I am finding that out first hand as I try new mediums.
One of the biggest messages I'm taking away with me is from Josef Albers (pg 187) that "all materials are equally valuable visually and that the designer should attend to intrinsic properties rather than social status." It stuck with me because I often don't "get" the message an artist is trying to say in a piece and I write it off. This opened my mind to the fact that I need to appreciate the materials being used as much as the piece itself. I also need to instill that in my students as well.
I agree with what Nigel said about not really thinking about the user when creating. I often don't pay much attention to what I am doing when I'm working on a piece and it just ends up being what it is!
I don't feel that it is necessary to have a community of makers in order to create. That being said, I think it's incredibly helpful to bounce ideas off someone else, ask for feedback and assistance when you are creating something. I find I do this often. I have an idea and I ask others on ways that I can improve it.
I have mixed feeling on if it is important to extend the title to include cultural heritage information. On one hand I find it valuable to know the background so that I am able to put the piece in context. On the other hand, I'm afraid that it may bias the viewer and not allow them to truly experience the artwork. Honestly, I just keep going back and forth on it. Part of me thinks that if I enjoy the art I will go and learn about the artist, but I don't know that everyone would do that.
Katy, I was impressed by the same teaching by Albers, I wonder if this philosophy lends itself to Rascuache art.
DeleteWhen I first entered the art world it was IMPORTANT to identify as a woman, a feminist because of all the years and years women have been left out or have their work "given" to a male artist. It was and is still important for me to be seen as a women artist. I no longer apologize nor defend my use of materials or why I want to do 'pretty" things...I have way too much silver hair to listen to what nice safe box I am suppose to fit in or to be "encouraged" to make art bigger/meaner/ more in your face.
ReplyDeleteWhen I graduated with my BFA, and applying to grad school I was told I needed to be more conceptual. I didn't start making art for about 7 years after that, when someone gave me an opportunity to do a cover for a book.
DeleteThanks for sharing that! Those comments about being a woman and artist truly resonate with me.
DeleteI was very surprised by the Jewelry making of Alexander Calder, and that this in effect was a beginning for him. I thought that I knew a lot about him as an artist, but I did not know this about him. I love the primitive elements that he incorporated into his jewelry, and would like to see more examples of his work. He has always been a favourite of mine, and I would like to learn more about this art form of his that I was not familiar with. I just never realised that his beginning was jewelry making.
ReplyDeleteI was impressed by the Dominican Republic stowaway jewelry designer, Francisco Rebajes. What an American success story. He built an amazing empire from his craft and then retired to Malaga, Spain! Not bad at all! Very impressive story. And very good at business as well. Which is kind of a rare combination I think. He for sure was in the right place at the right time when he was discovered, but he either had a great business sense or was very willing to learn!
I will take away with me the Eames story. What an amazing couple doing these experiments in their apartment. I found it inspiring that during the war years, that they used their findings and experiments with plywood to help so many others, wounded soldiers from the front. And helped with some medical advances. It was a big detour for them and their plans, I'm sure. But others were helped, and after the war, they were able to pursue their designs and dreams that they wanted to produce. I think sometimes our art can take us to unusual places and circumstances. I like the fact that they were able to help others. But didn't give up on producing their dream designs.
I was also impressed with Art Smith and how he carefully considered the user, the human wearer in his designs. That lava bracelet is very cool. I will have to say that I have not considered the user or buyer in much of my fine art making. I have always just “expressed” myself in painting or photography. I guess the most I have ever considered the user was in graphic design and advertising. In that field, considering the user is what it is all about. So I guess it depends on my focus and what I am creating as to how much I consider the user.
I think that an art community is very important in creating art. I don't get to interact with my art community as much as I would like to. But just being around other artists and talking and sharing is always stimulating and helpful with new ideas and new considerations. I feel like I thrive more as a person and as an artist when I can interact with other artists and their ideas and opinions. I think it is something that we all need more of. Or at least I do.
I think that including cultural heritage information linked with art can be perhaps a double edged sword. I always find that element interesting and a part of the whole person and creating, but not everyone appreciates diversity. I enjoy and appreciate diversity and have an interest and respect for other cultures. I think it adds to the interest of a piece and in understanding the artist. But with today’s tensions, that might not always work to an artist overall best interests. So It is a good question to consider.
I will make a comment on the dinnerware section after giving it a bit more thought.
I'm really enjoying reading about things that get closer to my birth decade. We are still a ways off! But it is so interesting!
Diana, I had the same reaction when reading about Calder, I had no idea he dabbled in jewelry. I like that he tinkered with tools and didn't really weld much. Sounds like something I might try.
DeleteI love how everyone was surprised by Calder...makes for a great book!
DeleteAside from being so drawn to dinnerware, I have also collected tea sets and coffee sets. I think I am revealing a true addiction here! The set that I liked best was by Mary Schneider, American coffee set. It has an earthy and organic feel, but also very elegant! It is just beautiful!
ReplyDeleteWe just bought a home that is new to us, and gained possession this weekend. It is a duplex that we will be living on one side. And one of those situations where a massive overhaul of cleaning and painting and new flooring had to be done! Aside from packing and moving! The next 30 days will be busy! I will say though that looking at paint colors and the trends of the decades from the 1900's forward has been very enlightening and interesting. I feel like I have such a greater understanding of what what happening and why certain colors have such influence in a certain decade. It also makes me realise how I am responding to my own culture in my own time. With my color choices. This age of speed and technology has caused a response in me for my home to be more calm, peaceful and a place to be quiet. Evidently, I'm not the only one seeking this. Paint colors bought this weekend were Quietude, Rest Assured, and a Modern Gray. Almost went with a Mindful gray.
I just explored Eva Zeisel originals.com. It is a lovely website with her story and her ceramic designs still being made and sold today. I really like her style!
ReplyDelete1. What surprised you? I was surprised to learn of black sculptors and potters. I had forgotten about artists of color until I came to this section. I would like to see more of their art and wonder if there were black women sculptors and potters as well. Hmm.
ReplyDelete2. What impressed you? The ceramics of Gertrud and Otto Natzler, which I googled was incredible. The glazes and textures that they achieved looked like natural wonders, if it weren’t a ceramic vessel their pottery looked like a naturally formed precious stone or rock.
3. What are you taking away with you? The line that most moved me was about the teaching of Josef Albers, “all materials are equally valuable visually and that the designer should attend to intrinsic properties rather than social status.” This philosophy reminds me to dissolve what I think I know about art making, allowing for more creative freedom.
4. How important is the user to what you make? I think making a connection with someone, or at least seeing something you make impact someone is essential. There is nothing depressing than having art fill the artists home that only has meaning for the artist. I have grown tired of some of my old paintings.
5. How much do you need a community of makers in order to create? As am a little of a loner, but I do enjoy creative circles. It is a complete delight getting together to dedicate time for creativity. We sometimes did not make the time in our busy lives.
6. Is it important to extend the tile of an artist/make with cultural heritage information?
I think it depends on the context. Not just for cultural heritage, but also gender. I identify as a Chicana, which is inherently gendered. I will never be offended being called Chicana or Mexican American. I am partial to Hispanic and Latina because of their homogeneity, but will use them depending on the spaces I am in. People identify themselves according to their ideologies. So, I think it should be up to the artist to decide the extension of their title.
When the article printed in the local paper read, “Donna Woman to paint mural at Abortion Clinic,” I cringed. For one, the choice to refer to Whole Woman’s Health as an “abortion clinic,” is a political stance on the part of the newspaper. Also, because I felt the tag line was no different from say, Donna woman found in canal. A “Donna Woman” paints a mural. At the same time, for this particular project I was pretty adamant that the artist selected to paint this mural had better be a woman, and local. So I should own “Donna Woman” for that reason.
Never trust a newspaper unless you know the writer and trust them. And of course they called it an abortion clinic because they gets attention.
DeleteThe history of art has a color bias,a gender bias and it is Euro-centered. Only crafts crosses all lines. In my opinion crafts offer a look at real life.
Calder's early work as a jeweler was a surprise, (p.185) but it makes sense. Jewelry can be sculpture and vice versa. It's a matter of scale! Benvenuto Cellini (1500 – 1571) was an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, painter, and musician, who was profiled in Vasari's "Lives of the Artists", which included Donatello, Michelangelo, and Leonardo (hey, they're the Ninja Turtles!). Cellini executed sculptures of different scales. He attempted to top Michelangelo's David and Donatello's Judith and Holofernes. The casting of Cellini's Salt Cellar, made in Paris, 1540–1543 (gold, partly covered in enamel, with an ebony base) is hailed as sculpture but is functional and the scale of dinnerware.
ReplyDeleteAt the turn of the 19th Century, René Lalique also made jewelry that I regard as sculpture, incorporating many Art Nouveau aesthetics that are stunning. His Dragonfly Brooch is one of my favorite pieces of art.
And there are contemporary artists who have recreated their large work as jewelry. Jeff Koons' "Bunny" has been cast as a pendant for a necklace which can sell for up to $112,500. (http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/lot.571.html/2014/contemporary-art-day-sale-n09222)
Now for the hard questions. I agree with Diana that linking cultural heritage information with art is problematic. There are certainly cases where a cultural context can really educate the under-informed about deeper meanings within culturally iconic works. When I took Non-Western Art History, this became very important and greatly increased my interest in the works, often leading to further research that was very informative. But there are other cases where I believe this information can "explain" poor work. When I was working on my Masters Degree, the female students started a petition that the University hire only women artists until there was 50% parity. I was a huge supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment and they came to me first for my signature. I told them I could not sign. I just wanted the best artists teaching me and I said that they could all be "left-handed African American female lesbian artists" as long as they were the best. This did not go over well, and they said that all minorities and women needed role models during their educational experiences. I told them that by the time students were in a Masters program, it was too late. "If you want to give everyone role models for success, they should see them in the elementary grades and continue to see them until they have a sense of themselves where a role model is simply the maker of work, regardless of their identity."
A community of makers is proportionally relevant to the quality of the makers within it. I know this sounds elitist, but I get no benefit from a community of mediocre makers. A community of amazing makers is heaven. I even understand that encouraging lesser makers is really important, but one reason I came to TTU was I was tired of being a big fish in a small pond. I needed a much bigger pond.
How important is the user in the work I make? Almost negligible. Even with commissions there have been instances where the patron is so ignorant of process, structural integrity, and aesthetics, that their opinion invalidates your experience. I have walked away from a few commissions because of this. If, however, I am designing something that has a functional purpose, then it behooves me to understand the function as thoroughly as possible so it meets the needs of the user. Aesthetics are another matter. If the patron wants an aesthetic decision that violates the function or integrity of the design, then they are too ignorant to become involved with.
So, concerning cultural heritage...what is someone fakes having a culture in order to sell his/her work? Saying we only want the best is too easy because we often judge "best" by what we have known which usually represents that which needs to be changed. How do you judge weaving on a reservation where whole families work on a piece in a society that requires one artist per piece ( unless the one artist is a team like "The Art Guys". One of the reasons for this class to begin to understand the subtle differences for different materials/cultural traditions/process.
DeleteSome of the schools mentioned in this section were based on the concept of community/conversation and shared creativity. I personally need feedback and friends who understand when I need a time to not do art (not long just an evening or a day).
Commissions require the input of the person ordering the work...you can not escape their requests unless you (as you did) choose not to take it on the project.
Chapter 1, Response to James Brown's post.
ReplyDeleteFrom page 30 "Cheapness will ruin the (craft) industry". The question of sustainability of craft and making a living as an artist are definitely tied into the inherent value we assign to the piece of art produced. In ceramics, one often hears the argument that one can buy a cup or a bowl at Walmart for a fraction of the price they would pay for an original handmade one-of-a kind ceramic piece of art. My attitude toward such an argument is that there is no need to fear the challenge. The challenge to the artist is implied. It is a statement that the machine-cast ceramic cup sold at the corner store has the same value as a hand thrown piece of art designed by a craftsman, because they have identical utilitarian value - they hold your coffee. The argument is flawed, since the time and effort the craftsman invests as well as the life he/she breathes into each piece they make are what partially raises its value. The creative process itself becomes a sort of spiritual journey, in which the craftsman is giving birth to an object that is charged with the essence of the artist and carries a piece of them within its walls.
Maia, I definitely agree with your comments. One issue that I ponder is the reality of buying and selling my work within a society that is often either unable or unconcerned with paying for quality and originality. For me to provide a living for my family with my craft, I would either need a mass of people to buy my wares, or I would have to make them very expensive. I know that I cannot tailor my creative activities to the fear of success or failure, but when I too have great responsibilities and needs, given the demands of my families' daily existence, It is a critical consideration for me... fortune favors the bold.
DeleteMakers, Chapter 1, A response to Corina's response to James Brown's post.
ReplyDeleteThe Marxist idea of art, education, and wealth being not for the few, but for the many really undercuts the elitist notion that in order to appreciate a piece of art one needs to have a higher awareness of the inherent value of art in terms of art history, the status of the artist in the art world, the current art market etc. Craft strips off these notions. Anyone can make art sitting on their porch, including your aunt, your son, and your grandmother. Anyone can appreciate and own art in this different world of art for everyone.
I like your thoughts on Marxism and the arts and you take on "cheapness", but I need for you to answer the three questions set up for each chapter based on that chapter.
ReplyDeleteHow important is the user? When making functional objects, I would say that the ratio of my personal expression to my thoughts of the user are probably around 70/30. I definitely want to create what I like, but I also take into consideration both ergonomic and relatability when I make things that I want others to desire to take into their spaces and lovingly use. When I make an utilitarian object for a specific person and they have wishes and guidance, I try to integrate their ideas and personality as fully as possible into my method and personal aesthetic.
ReplyDelete