URL Krueger on tue 4 jan 05
Thinking about why we value hand-made items.
Could it be because mom was always full of admiration and
praise whenever we brought home items we made in school?
Just a thought.
--
Earl K...
Bothell WA, USA
U.S. Marine Corps 1967-1971
Did you know somebody who was killed in Iraq?
If not, how long will it be before you do?
Carl D Cravens on tue 4 jan 05
On Tue, 4 Jan 2005, URL Krueger wrote:
> Thinking about why we value hand-made items.
>
> Could it be because mom was always full of admiration and
> praise whenever we brought home items we made in school?
I think it's deeper than that. Daily, our interactions with machines
increases... a machine calls to verify that it was really me that used my
MasterCard at three different Wal-Marts in one day. It was entirely
automated, no humans involved. My life becomes more "impersonal" every
day.
Daily we buy and use things made by machines, very often made with little
human involvement. And when they aren't made by machines, they're made by
poorly-paid factory workers in third-world countries.
When you buy a hand-made item from the producer, you know that something
of the person went into making it. The producer more or less cared about
the object for the sake of producing the object... not for the sake of
earning a dollar. Or, at least that's what we like to believe, I think,
and in the best cases, that's true. (In the worst case, we all recognize
that some days, making pots is "just a job" and we're not always high on
the experience.)
Clay, specifically, has a lot of things going for it. It's more
"earthy"... it's not "artificial," and it hearkens back to our roots, when
"we" made bowls and mugs because we needed to, not because they were nice
to have. Buying and using pottery is pushing back against the
"inhumanity" that crowds in on us every day. It connects us to another
person... "The bowl I am eating out of was crafted by the hands of
another, not by the inhuman perfection of a machine." The potter affects
our lives, and we affect the potter's life... in most cases, our dollars
are going to small businessmen, often directly into the potter's hands,
and we know that no "big business" is getting rich off of our hard-earned
dollars. We know that we've helped a fellow man (not a faceless
"business") earn his living doing something he loves. (Insert
"woman/her/she" as appropriate.)
Sure, I can buy a cup at Wal-Mart for 88-cents, or I can buy a mug from a
potter for $12... but somehow the $12 seems better-spent, because my money
went directly into building someone's dream.
--
Carl D Cravens (raven@phoenyx.net)
Ho! Haha! Guard! Turn! Parry! Dodge! Spin! Ha! Thrust!
Eleanora Eden on thu 6 jan 05
I wear scarves made by a craft friend. Each time I put one on I
think of her, her skill and care, just in passing. This enriches my
life. I know because people tell me that they think of my things in
their houses in the same way. It enriches their lives to use
handmade things and they are very aware of this.
As it happens, my mom was always very encouraging about any creative
endeavors and gifts from her kids. And I do think that plays a part
somewhere in growing up to do creative work. Probably doesn't play
much of a role with the purchaser, though.
Eleanora
>On Tue, 4 Jan 2005, URL Krueger wrote:
>
>>Thinking about why we value hand-made items.
>>
>>Could it be because mom was always full of admiration and
>>praise whenever we brought home items we made in school?
>
>I think it's deeper than that. Daily, our interactions with machines
>increases... a machine calls to verify that it was really me that used my
>MasterCard at three different Wal-Marts in one day. It was entirely
>automated, no humans involved. My life becomes more "impersonal" every
>day.
>
>Daily we buy and use things made by machines, very often made with little
>human involvement. And when they aren't made by machines, they're made by
>poorly-paid factory workers in third-world countries.
>
>When you buy a hand-made item from the producer, you know that something
>of the person went into making it. The producer more or less cared about
>the object for the sake of producing the object... not for the sake of
>earning a dollar. Or, at least that's what we like to believe, I think,
>and in the best cases, that's true. (In the worst case, we all recognize
>that some days, making pots is "just a job" and we're not always high on
>the experience.)
>
>Clay, specifically, has a lot of things going for it. It's more
>"earthy"... it's not "artificial," and it hearkens back to our roots, when
>"we" made bowls and mugs because we needed to, not because they were nice
>to have. Buying and using pottery is pushing back against the
>"inhumanity" that crowds in on us every day. It connects us to another
>person... "The bowl I am eating out of was crafted by the hands of
>another, not by the inhuman perfection of a machine." The potter affects
>our lives, and we affect the potter's life... in most cases, our dollars
>are going to small businessmen, often directly into the potter's hands,
>and we know that no "big business" is getting rich off of our hard-earned
>dollars. We know that we've helped a fellow man (not a faceless
>"business") earn his living doing something he loves. (Insert
>"woman/her/she" as appropriate.)
>
>Sure, I can buy a cup at Wal-Mart for 88-cents, or I can buy a mug from a
>potter for $12... but somehow the $12 seems better-spent, because my money
>went directly into building someone's dream.
>
>--
>Carl D Cravens (raven@phoenyx.net)
>Ho! Haha! Guard! Turn! Parry! Dodge! Spin! Ha! Thrust!
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
>melpots@pclink.com.
| |
|
