Craft Revolution

Marisa Molin: From the series Symbiosis

Last week-end I went to see "Craft Revolution" at QUT Art Museum. From the website:

"Craft Revolution explores the idea that craft is radical and revolutionary, through an exhibition and online discussion. Rejecting the dominant culture of consumption and the loss of community, craft is a means of creation and engagement that is slow, purposeful and often cooperative. It is this rejection of the dominant consumptive culture and the return to historic or traditional practices that makes craft revolutionary."

The show is only quite small, I found it disappointingly so. It includes some traditional craft works as well as more contemporary pieces. Personally, I'm not really sure they really added much, although the message was clear: your craft doesn't have to be highly conceptual in order to be radical. Still, it was works with a conceptual base that I found most inspiring.

Marisa Molin's works (above) were a case in point. Contemporary jewelry makers are currently among the most radical craftspersons, in my opinion. Working with the relationship of adornment to the body opens up so many avenues. I was especially pleased to see the actual works by Molin, in addition to the photos depicting them in relation to the body.

Another work that really appealed to me was a gorgeous dress by Tallulah Filloy which brought together aspects of traditional Maori costume with a skirt made from a beautiful red bathmat. Yes , I said bathmat. And yes, if it was in my size, I'd wear it!"Our Father Who Art in Heaven", 2008 by Ann-Maree Hanna

But my favourite work was this one by Ann-Maree Hanna. Unfortunately I couldn't find a picture of it as it is installed for this show. It is quite breathtaking in it's beauty and profound in it's message. The work is made from embroidery thread and is a scrolled version of the Lord's Prayer written in arabic. The calligraphic lines of the script rendered in gold are suspended from one end and gently fall to the floor, where the rest of the prayer remains on its giant bobbin. The lighting is used to great effect to cast the shadow of the words onto the wall. The bringing together of Christianity with the language of the troubled middle east is such a beautiful sight, I'd recommend this exhibition for this piece alone.

You can read and see more about this show on the QUT website (where I found the photos, and sorry, I don't have permission) and on the associated blog.

Custom wedding invitations

Above: centrepiece: paperbark

Cream coloured paper used for edging will also be used inside to print text on.

Twigs from dieing bushes in the front yard.

Here in Australia, while the top half of the planet is sweltering, we are in the middle of flu season. This year the influenza has actually been bad enough that the health authorities are suggesting people wear masks in public (not that I've actually seen anyone doing that - I reckon it would be considered "un-Australian" by many).

My husband and I have both had nasty colds, but not the actual flu, thank heavens! Still with CFS anything extra can put you in bed, and this past week we've been laid low. The house is in a right state, and I haven't done any work on my masters in over a week, so what did I spend yesterday doing? Designing wedding invitations for my dear friend Jodie. She provided the papers and "the brief" - something to give it a natural feel, and so I set to work.

Above some snaps, I apologize for the quality, but by the time I'd finished the light was poor. They are all made with the same papers - the colour is probably closest in the middle one. I added the hairy brown paper from my collection. In the end, Jodie liked them all so much she is thinking of using all three! Now - on to some real work!

Hands on! A curator's dilemma

Beautiful porcelain by the very talented Mel Robson.

One of the streams of discussion I'd like to include in this blog concerns the place of craft in the art world and in contemporary culture. Occasionally I may write essays myself which examine issues of interest to me, about which I feel I have something to contribute. More often, I will be alerting readers to recent offerings of eminent craft writers.

This week I received a survey from Craft Victoria asking readers of Craft Almanac to consider a curator's dilemma. I thought I would post the scenario here on my blog to try to extend the reach of the survey and to see what response international artists have to this type of dilemma. I'm interested to see if the response and situation overseas parallels ours here in Australia.

The Scenario

You are the curator of a contemporary art museum with a passionate interest in contemporary craft. In the past, sadly, you have been unable to convince the director to present an exhibition in this medium. He thinks craft is nostalgic and inappropriate for a 'contemporary' institution. And there's a practical issue with the need to build special display furniture. Then one day, a proposal lands on your desk with a recommendation from the director.
'Hands on!' is an exhibition of leading designers from across the world who have developed objects with a 'handmade feel'. Reflecting strong interest in the tactile nature of objects, these designers have developed innovative manufacturing technologies that give objects the appearance of being made by hand. They enable random imperfections to emerge in the way forms are cast and surfaces are rendered. The objects include not only vessels such as vases but also objects not previously associated with the handmade such as computer casing.
The director writes: 'Seems a good international show, reflecting cutting edge technologies and subtly critiques the whole sentimentality of the handmade. And the exhibition comes with its own furniture in lovely white Corian.'
So how do you respond? Maybe it's a good opportunity to bring the issue of the handmade into the gallery. But does it imply that the actual use of hands in making is outmoded -- no longer a matter of enduring human expression but just a current fashion trend? What would you do?

This was my response:

In a situation that is so "anti-craft" this may be the only opportunity to raise the subject. I would want to be assured that I could write an essay to be included in the catalogue of the exhibition. In this way, I could propose a theoretical framework which set up a dialogue between this exhibition and genuine handmade objects - with a view to setting up an expectation with the public that REAL handcrafted objects would be seen in this gallery in the future. The essay would need to be very well researched and intellectually rigorous.

What would you do? I'd love you to post your response here in the comments section.

Responses to this survey can be tracked at Clog.