ACC 09: Fri AM Part 2
Friday, October 16th, 2009Creating a New Craft Culture–Friday AM, Part 2
Elissa Auther
9:45 AM Elissa Auther on “Lifestyle an Livelihood in Craft Culture”
Background: Elissa Auther is assistant professor of contemporary art in the visual and performing arts department at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Her book String, Felt,Thread and the Hierarchy of Art and Craft, 1960-1980 (to be released Dec 09), focuses on the innovative use of fiber in American art.
Integration of Art and Life
Elissa’s presentation was a historical overview of counterculture art lifestyles of the 20th century, starting with the Arts & Crafts Movement of the UK–”The Love you liberate in your work is the love you keep” to postwar US –Craft as Conscious Choice.
Pond Farm
Then focusing on California (go CA!) from the 50′s-70′s, such as Marquerite Wildenhaim’s Pond Farm Experience (summer ceramics commune with a focus on process: idea that if students could master the process of being a craftsman, then the mastery of their “objects” would follow); Tom D’Onofrio’s Baulines Craftsmen Guild and the book the Craftsman Lifestyle: The Gentle Revolution by Olivia H. Emery–”All of life is artistic expression.”
Craft as Critique of Culture
Moving on to present day, Auther presented the emergence of the D.I.Y. movement and the rejection of the art world. As the group Pottery Liberation Front puts it: “Lifestyle defined by objects is hollow.” And of course a conversation about craft wouldn’t be complete (or controversial, apparently) these days without mentioning Etsy, and how it is bringing many new faces to the craft scene as people are discovering they too can achieve economic independence from the mainstream market by selling their handmade goods.
In the Q&A segment, the point of geography having something to do with art lifestyles flourishing in the 70′s, esp in the West Coast makes me think that it is happening again not only in CA but in Oregon and WA , this time with the burgeoning of Indie Craft. The coming together of a community, all around the joy of making. Reminding me why I love living in the Mission in SF in all its grungy, edgy, albeit pricey glory.
