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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

[utopia]

Hur hur hur, you said "craft".

It's very true though. Borders Fort Kinnaird, when I worked in the Art section, total number of books 100,000 - metalwork books, three. And two of those were for kids. I guess buyers are less likely to get a £20 book on metalwork, needing specialist equipment, than beading, needing - uh - beads, but still - people aren't going to buy it if you don't sell it!

It's funny, also, that people will pay more for something useless but pretty than for something useful but pretty. I wonder if it's a kind of insecurity: "I know paintings are worth £X because TV told me so, but what if I buy a pot for £X and it turns out to be just a pot? I'd be mortified. No, no, I'll get the painting.."

[cybik]

To be fair, my degree show stuff is "art" (in that it has no use other than to be interesting/look good/be a thing), but I want to make some useful things. I find it interesting that a lot of people buy teapots or mugs from potters and then don't use them because they are too expensive (or too "fancy"). If I ever buy mugs from potters I would want to use them, but then I'd want stuff I made to be used.

Aaaaah, now I want to make some spoons. I like making spoons. But I need to buy some spoon stakes to do that..

[selectnone]

Spoon stakes? I'm intrigued, what are spoon stakes?

[octopoid_horror]

They're what you need when spoons turn bad, duh.

[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.