Decline, Evolution, or Demise

As a movement, fine crafts, fine art crafts, craft design, whatever it's now called, is becoming increasingly constipated. From the standpoint of identity and sense of purpose, does that seem like an accurate statement? I'll tell you what prompted this epiphany for me. A panel discussion put on by the American Crafts Council at the San Francisco show last August. I'll get to my point momentarily, but must give a context for why this event seemed so broken and disjointed.

Let's encapsulate the current economic disaster for the moment and put it aside. Reason being - not even the so called economic experts know what they're dealing with yet. So for clarity's sake, let's stick to more familiar currents in the evolution of the fine art craft movement. We can discuss the economy in future posts.

Fine Art/Craft Shows
No one venue suffices for most artists. I chose to pursue a select group of craft shows initially for the exposure. In contrast to galleries, the immediate and 100% profits garnered at shows has kept me invested in them. I've got about 20 shows under my belt now, and as I wander the isles, I'm hearing a growing concern about sustaining a livelihood from this venue.

There is an aging group of gray haired "lifers" who have done crafts shows since the beginning of time. I've heard enough stories about how good it was in the 80's to stop being polite, but I also respect the fact that many have raised families, bought homes, funded college educations from the profits of artwork sold.

So it was with some hope that I attended the ACC panel discussion. Thinking I might tap into the collective consciousness of the panel and the attendees, and learn more about the art/craft movement. Well, to be fair, I did get a very real insight into the current state of things. And in hindsight, the panel did represent the colliding factions that are vying for a piece of the craft marketplace. It became immediately apparent that not even the moderator of the discussion had a handle on the blender effect of differing agendas in the room.

There was a palpable discomfort within the audience as each panelist gave their perspective on the art/craft movement. The bulk of the audience were those aging gray haired artists I mentioned. What they heard only added to their concerns (and mine) about sustaining their livelihoods.

One panelist represented Craft magazine. Which by the sound of it, supports the idea that everyone can make art. And they're gonna' show you how you too can become an artist/crafter. So to her, the craft movement was about raising conciousness about crafts, but not about supporting professional artisans, and probably reducing their sales if a potential customer believe she/he can make it themselves.

Another panelist represented a global interest in bringing crafts made by third world villages to the American buying public. Her interst in the crafts movement was helping another world of artisans, but not the people she was addressing.

The third panelist I'll mention was a student that did a "study" on whether it was possible to make something completely by hand and find a way to produce enough "objects" to make a viable wage. At this point, a member of the audience raised her hand, stood up and said something like, "honey, the majority of people in this room are doing that every day!"

And that pretty much summed it up. I left feeling disheartened that maybe my passion to make a very fine object might be jeopardized by a declining and fragmented market for fine craft.

Engobe. What is it; who cares?

It's a 50/50 mix of liquid clay and glaze if you must know. But this my friends, is not what I have in mind for this little chunk of the blogosphere.

I named it hand2clay because clay is my medium, it hadn't been taken as a blog name, and I thought it was kind of snappy. It may change if the commentary evolves as I hope.

Of course technical jargon and clayisms are welcome, but my wish is that art/design topics of a more evocative, and far reaching nature will blossom. Why you choose to create. Your philosophy about making "things" in this age, this amazingly full age of perhaps too many things. The intimacy of touch in the digital era. Generational aesthetics. Enlightened commentary on the culture of art - from NYC gallery hype, to the burgeoning (well maybe not so much now) design/craft movement.

The marketing of art. I want to hear about that! I'll be attending a talk at Village Books Dec. 3rd about marketing to those not (as) affected by the economic downturn. It's called "No B.S. - Marketing to the Affluent". I think it should be billed How to suck on the teat of people with more money than they know what to do with. Kinda long? How about Medici Redux. The talk is not geared for artists per se, but that it even is happening points directly at the disappearing middle class, which has been the predominant market for most buyers of craft artwork.

Seems as good a time as any to start a conversation. Welcome.