emiko-o reware

Manufractured Forward installation image

This week is the double reception for the Manufractured Forward show at CCA’s Oliver Art Center: March 30, 5:30-8:30pm is the artist’s reception for the general public; April 1, 3-4pm is the closing reception for the Craft Forward conference attendees. I’m so honored to have been invited by curators Steven Skov Holt and Mara Holt Skov to be among 7 other extra talented local artists. The exhibition was first put together for the Museum of Contemporary Craft in Portland Oregon in 2008, and had an accompanying book, Manufractured: The Conspicuous Transformation of Everyday Objects.

Other artists in the show are: Michele Pred, Harriete Estel Berman (my hands still ache from assembling her grass/gras’/ installation, plus see my costume handiwork in the straight jacket in Measuring Compliance), Mitra Fabian, Liz Hickok (friend and jello artist/photographer!!!), Andy Diaz Hope, Laurel Roth (fancy panty liners!) and Thomas Wold.

born again virgin by Laurel Roth

Measuring Compliance by Harriete Estel Berman

Alamo Square by Liz Hickok

Room for Recovery by Mitra Fabian

Tall blond secretary 2 by Thomas Wold

Fear Culture by Michele Pred

day by Andy Diaz Hope

Mara notes that notes that, “Increasingly, artists, craftspeople, and designers from around the world are gathering familiar mass-produced goods as their new raw materials, using both pristine products and castoffs to create works that are completely unexpected, while at the same time surprisingly familiar. The result is a collection of pioneering work from a wide range of practitioners who combine the industrially uniform with the uniquely handmade. “ She elaborates on Manufractured Forward, saying it “ is an opportunity to bring together a provocative group of Bay area artists whose work expands the philosophy and aesthetic practice of Manufractured into conceptual, political, domestic, environmental and social realms. Each and every one of the projects in Manufractured Forward stands, paradoxically, as both a warning about the excesses of our consumer culture and same time as a beacon for a new kind of boundless creativity.”

I’ve created some new works for this show, beginning my Museum Series pieces, inspired by artwork and exhibitions seen at local museums. Winter’s Brush was informed by The Russian Bride’s Attire (1889) by Konstantin Moakovsky, an extremely large oil painting at the Legion of Honor which I came to know through Pulp Fashion: The Art of Isabelle de Borchgrave show that is up currently. This neckpiece utilizes recycled makeup brushes,LEGO and rope; silk cording, fine and sterling silver, coated copper wire.

Dawning II is the other new work, second in Dawning collection, based on Dawn’s Wedding Feast (1959) by Louise Nevelson, a room-sized installation of recycled wood, which I was lucky to see at the De Young museum a few years ago. Materials in this neckpiece are recycled LEGO,Connectix and electrical cable, paint, fine and sterling silver.

Creating a New Craft Culture SAT 3 PM
The Case for Conservatism with Garth Clark

I apologize for skipping over some of the weekend’s presenters; you can catch more on Natalie Chanin, Robin Petravic, Julie Lasky, and Lydia Matthews on Harriete’s blog. I may do a sound-bites post at the very end of my ACC conference reporting to include some of these folks.

Garth Clark

But time is of the essence and I’m sure you’re all chomping at the bit to hear the dirt on Garth Clark‘s presentation, the title of which is elusive and a bit dull. He admitted to being a bit confused as to why he chose “The Case for Conservatism” title 9 months ago.

If you’ve done your homework in listening to (or attended) Garth’s previous controversial talk at the Museum of Contemporary Craft in Portland, OR, “How Envy Killed the Crafts Movement” (hear the podcast on MCC‘s site in 2 parts, or order the transcription online through MCC), then you will have already heard the paper he read to us, “Palace and Cottage”. In the paper he urges craft makers to return to a cottage industry/grass roots model, to rebuild it from the bottom up and address social issues. He called out the classism and elitism that has been brewing between ACC and the “Craft Nation” as he refers to it. And calls out ACC on the conference’s theme, bemoaning, “Why are we looking for a NEW craft culture?” that it’s “ludicrous to be looking for something over the hill” or to “create a new Bubble” in today’s ecomony. No holds barred on accusing ACC of floundering purposeless and missionless for the last decade. I’ll admit that up until now I didn’t consider ACC anything more than a magazine, an archive, and craft shows; but there are glimmers now that it can have a new life and purpose if the desire and drive are there.

ON BURNING MAN

Burning Man

Garth cracked me up when he opened his talk about his trip to Burning Man and how he lost 10 lbs. of discarded cynicism towards craft. How incredible it was be there and experience the endless amount of amazing craft being made without [financial] agenda, from fire-breathing dragon cars to structures made from repurposed materials  (my favs have always been the Temples made from wooden puzzle refuse, see below). “I believe in a Craft Nation“, he said, but admitted that an idealized, anti-money, communal lifestyle is of course not realistic in a market-driven, capitalistic economy. He did relate BM to the DIY culture (naturally there are many cross-over groups in this comparison) in how both “take us back to the rituals of daily life; a life experience…we’ve turned craft into a gallery experience (he admits to playing a role in that during the 80s bubble).” Best to “keep the boundaries open and not be hostile“, for the DIY movement is “transient, a youth expression and certainly not a threat to the craft community at large“. Yes, maybe if we say this enough times, it will finally sink in….

Temple of Joy (photo: Maurice Fitzpatrick

THE SOLUTION
What is the next step, what can we do to Save Craft? Garth suggests Art Advocacy at the Federal level, and sooner rather than later before the federal monies are bled dry. Yes, lobbying is messy, expensive, and takes lots of organization and commitment, but we have to ask ourselves the greater question of “Can we afford to [continue to] go unrepresented [in government]?” Not only getting funding for organizations and communities, but for more protective legal rights, tax issues and ways to make running a craft studio a more viable lifestyle.

An effective advocacy model to study is what Western North Carolina and the Center for Craft, Creativity, & Design did to help save craft in that region and give craft a voice in state government. The power of the collective does work. A leader at CCCD suggest we “challenge others to step out of their studios and get involved in community.”

The great thing about Garth’s talks is that they get people riled up about something enough to continue the discussion in the outside world.  I’m a big believer in Tough Love; criticism may be painful while it’s happening, but if it’s coming from a place of genuine concern it is often just what the doctor ordered: a catalyst for change.

Exciting news! My *e*oware jewelry is now available at a new venue in San Francisco: the store at the San Francisco Museum of Craft + Design located at 550 Sutter St near Union Square. I just delivered a large, 42 piece collection last week, including this brand new cufflink design.

Next time you’re in the area, please stop in and check out the goods.

PLUS, mark your calendar for their next opening, October 17, when I will be unveiling my interactive jewelry installation–My First Royal Jewels Jewellery Collection. The public will be encouraged to try on the pieces while being enlightened as how to properly handle art jewelry. It is inspired from this year’s Museum of Contemporary Craft exhibition, Touching Warms the Art, for which I made the Queen Margherita necklace. My installation is to compliment the main gallery exhibition, The Thinking Body, co-curated Kate Wagle and Anya Kivarkis, the latter whose experimental jewelry I’ve always admired. Showing alongside me with an an interactive lighting exhibit will be Oakland artist, Nick Dong.

See my project develop in posts yet to come (and yes, there are legos involved)…