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[cybik]

Craft is a dirty word. My degree was called "Three Dimensional Design", but "Craft" would have been more accurate. In fact, I think they're changing the title so that is does involve the word "craft" somewhere - but they're keeping the word "design" as well

Comments

[octopoid_horror]

Papercraft and knitting are somewhat less intimidating for people taking up a new hobby to while away a few hours whilst they watch TV when compared to glassmaking or metalwork.

Pottery was trendy a while back but got eclipsed by knitting/cross stich-for-hip-young-office-girls

If you pick people who aren't actually interested in art, they won't be able to name any fine artists other than the usual Big Name Suspects.

I know that most people I work with didn't have a clue who LS Lowry was when someone mentioned him. Admittedly, they've never heard of 'Capability' Brown either.

People who -are- interested in design not knowing metalworkers, for example, is something concerning, but the lowbrow public? Show them something that isn't the cut-out-and-keep print of a Monet painting from the Sun or the Mona Lisa and they won't have a clue.

[cybik]

My point (one of my points, anyway) is that people like William Morris are as important to the crafts as Monet is to painting and yet noone's heard of them. But another of my points is that I feel that metalwork or whatever should be held as important as "fine" art and that the famous craftspeople should be as famous as their painting counterparts.

I'm tired, so that sentence might not make much sense, so I might come back and explain that again tomorrow ;)

Oh, people might have heard of Grayson Perry, but usually only because he wears a dress. The fact that he's a very good potter is entirely sidelined. The dress is the important thing, it seems. Sad. His work is much more interesting.

[utopia]

Like the joke goes: "you shag one sheep..."

Do you think maybe crafts could do with someone to explain why they're so impressive? I'm sure Monet has had plenty of experts on TV raving about what exactly is so amazing about his brushwork, use of light, etc. (and it is amazing - don't get me wrong), but I can't remember anyone doing the same for pottery, or metalwork, or woodcarving (outside Antiques Roadshow).

But then, that's part of the wider question of general media exposure. Chickens and eggs. And sheep.

[utopia]

God, I'm totally cruding up your discussion. Sorry!

And sheep.

[cybik]

Yeah, I don't think there is anyone who really talks about it that way, certainly not in the public eye, anyway.

Mmf. Maybe I should write an article about it all..

No sheep.

[octopoid_horror]

I think you should avoid mentioning William Morris when talking about this because he's one people probably -will- have heard of. Pick the next most famous craftsperson and you'll have a better point.

Even sculpture is onto a loser these days. Once you get past Michaelangelo and Rodin, few names will come to mind for most people.

Oh wait.

It's because of the media, I suppose, to a degree. You can print a picture of a painting in a book, or in a magazine or even a newspaper. Depending on the quality of the publication, you'll lose much of the effect, but you can still see it properly, because you're looking at a 2d image (admittedly in a more limited range of colours and a tiny size) but it's still all there. A sculpture, a building, a chair, a spoon, something made of glass or of metal.. they're three dimensional and most photos do not convey space that well. You need to -see- them.

I didn't really understand the fuss about Henry Moore until I saw one of his pieces in the flesh, as it were (and actually held one in my hand

[cybik]

I mention William Morris because despite being the most famous and probably most influential craftsman, he is still unknown by many people. I find that quite surprising.

I think you've got a point with how hard it is to see craft or other three dimensional art properly in a two dimensional medium. Even TV isn't great because the angles from which you see a work are controlled.

Ideally craft pieces should be touched.

Also the way craft is usually displayed is not designed to make it accessible. White cube galleries are cold places, they put the pieces on pedestals and make them special, whcih is good in some ways, but it does make them seem like alien things...

[octopoid_horror]

Even for paintings, I like galleries that feel less like galleries.

Um, I think it's the Wallace Collection that gets a bit further away from your standard white walls/round leather sofas/red velvet ropes art gallery thing. Some smaller London gallery that I went to years ago that essentially was in a posh house. It's not quite as far removed as it could be, but seeing paintings like that rather than just THIS IS THE ROOM WITH THE IMPORTANT PAINTING IN IT YOU WILL LOOK AT THE PAINTING FROM BEHIND THIS LINE AND PONDER DEEPLY ON IT FOR FIVE MINUTES THEN GO DO THAT IN THE NEXT ROOM PS IF YOU TURN AROUND THERE ARE SOLDIERS AND BOOBS ON THE OTHER WALL YOU WILL DECRY VICTORIAN MORALITY WHEN YOU SEE IT PLEASE.