mel jacobson on thu 17 apr 03
oh, yes. there is hope.
a great deal of hope.
i do not despair, i see great strides every
day. people dedicated to their art and craft.
i rattle cages to wake up those that
live in the muck and arrogance of art.
craftsmanship, care and concern, folks making
things without any concern for `doing art`.
work that is not arrogant, in your face.
start to look.
hunt for it.
you will find it.
textiles. a great many mature women working in
textiles. (and, a few men.) the care and love for the material
shows. unashamed
love of fine craft. centers are popping up all over america
and europe. quilts, sewing, fabric construction, wearable
art. when you examine the work it is amazingly complex. a
great deal of thought has been given to the composition.
i saw a vest, made of pop can rings. gold and silver...all
sewn together like chain mail. stunning craft and it moved
rapidly to art. in fact, warren mackenzie's wife and step-daughter
are smack in the middle of this movement in minneapolis.
wood turning. i have seen some of the most amazing craft ever
produced. unashamed folks. working with wood. turning, complex
forms, done with so much love for the materials it almost hurts
to look at it. many are `goodolboys`, would not make it
at a new york opening...with wine and cheese...but, i would
rather spend a day in their shop than all the new york openings
put together.
furniture. craftsmanship and design are not dead. look at the
work of many contemporary furniture designers. hand made.
wood, metal, combinations of materials...thousands of hours
of work to produce a chair.
jewelers and beaders are developing new ideas every day. again,
craftsmanship that leads to art.
custom motorcycles. now, there is a movement that will turn
your head. search some of the discovery type channels on tv.
watch for modern garage type shows. i have seen the work
of some pretty tough looking men.....tatoos, nose art...but,
man, the workmanship. motorcycles that look like the finest modern
sculpture one can find. forming metal, mig welding and grinding
to create forms like magic. paint schemes that are marvelous.
and, talk of love of the materials...there it is. perfectionists
and artists dressed like muscle bikers. what is inside of their
heads is very creative.
pottery. yes, pottery. wonderful skilled clay work being done.
again, unashamed love of craft and clay materials. experimentation
done with new kilns and glazes. new techniques every day. sharing
thoughts and ideas....giving back to the craft of eons.
the museum crown pick up their noses....`ohhh, no, potters,
crafters, ick. we only deal with real artists.` well, most can
go to hell. arrogance that drips of stupidity. and the shows they
are producing often tip us off to their intelligence.
i use connie christianson as a metaphor. working alone, working
hard....a dedicated concern to be better and better. and then, of
course some success.
i think of gail nichols writing a ph.d. paper in chemistry that
has developed into her fine soda clay and glaze pots. dedication
to the craft. not a bit sloppy, totally focused...and success.
i will even use our own vince. when you see the work done using
his loaves of colored clay. tiny slices of `magic` built into metaphors
and ideas. absolute love of perfection and craftsmanship. thousands
of hours of concentrated work to produce success.
one of my old class mates of fifty years ago. anne was a `kenwood`
girl. smoked cigarettes at the `hasty-tasty`. went out with
only cool `kenwood boys`....her grandmother was a seamstress and
did cross-stitch...the family rejected that notion. they were too cool.
funny grandma. a craftsman.
now anne is almost 70....she does cross-stitch. won a prize
at the fair. now doing portraits of her grandchildren in cross-stitch.
she is in love with her hand work. success. she has become her
grandmother. she scoffs at the idea that she is having success....
for she compares herself to her grandmother....but, grandma had
80 years of practice...anne has had only 10.
yes, i repeat. care, love, concern for craftsmanship will lead us
out of the morasses of stagnant art. the world at large will always
understand how to use and respect a well crafted teapot. the world
at large will accept and respect a fine hand-made chair.
50 wastebaskets lined up in a grid at the walker art center has
no hope any longer. it means nothing. and will mean nothing
five months from now. connie christianson's shino mug will stand
the test of time. a thousand years.
mel
From:
Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
web site: my.pclink.com/~melpots
or try: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
new/ http://www.TICK-ATTACK.COM
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