N o s h o c k in g r e v e la t io n s a re
t o b e f o u n d in t h e p a g e s o f
Makers,
u n le s s y o u c o n s id e r
o b j e c t i v i t y a n d c o o lh e a d e d
a n a ly s is a r e v e la t i o n in w r i t -
in g a b o u t s tu d io c r a f t , in
w h i c h c a s e y o u m a y b e p le a s -
a n t ly s u r p r is e d .
K o p l o s ( w h o r e c e n t ly
s e r v e d as g u e s t e d i t o r o f
A m e r ic a n C r a f t ) a n d M e t c a l f
b e g in fr o m th e p r e m is e th a t
th e a u d ie n c e f o r
Makers
w ill
in c lu d e s tu d e n t s , s c h o la r s ,
a r tis ts , c o lle c t o r s a n d m u s e u m
p r o fe s s io n a ls . L a c k i n g a n e n -
c y c lo p e d ic b o o k o f th is k in d
u n til n o w , p r o fe s s o r s w h o
w is h e d t o in t r o d u c e c r a ft t o p -
ic s h a d t o m a k e d o w it h e x h i-
b it io n c a t a lo g s , m a te r ia l-b a s e d
s u r v e y s , a r tic le s a n d p o le m ic s ,
o f t e n t o o s p e c if ic o r a r c a n e
f o r u n d e r g r a d u a t e c o u r s e s .
W i t h th is t e x t , s tu d e n ts w ill
h a v e an in s p ir e d r e fe r e n c e
th a t g r o u n d s c r a ft m o v e m e n t s
in v a r io u s c o n t e x t s o f c r a ft
e d u c a tio n , p r o d u c tio n , d is p la y ,
s a le s a n d c o lle c t in g . W h i le
r e c e n t t e x t s s u c h as H o w a r d
R is a t t i’ s y /
Theory o f Craft
o r
G le n n A d a m s o n ’ s
Thinking
Through Craft
p r o v id e m u c h -
n e e d e d a n a ly s is o f c r a ft ’ s p o s i-
tio n w it h i n v is u a l c u lt u r e , n e i-
t h e r are in t e n d e d to b e s in g le -
v o lu m e h a n d b o o k s o f th e fie ld .
Makers
fills th a t v o id .
A s its in t r o d u c t io n n o t e s ,
th is b o o k a t t e m p t s th e n e a r ly
im p o s s ib le t a s k o f s u r v e y i n g
a fie ld w h o s e b o u n d a r ie s are
in a s ta te o f c o n s t a n t f lu x ,
s p e c ific a lly w it h r e g a r d t o th e
n a tu r e o f fu n c t io n a lit y a n d
m a te r ia l, a n d c r a ft ’ s r e la tio n -
s h ip t o fin e a r t a n d d e s ig n .
Makers
b e g in s c o n s e r v a t iv e ly ,
fe a t u r in g fu n c t io n a l o b je c ts
h a n d -fa b r ic a t e d fr o m th e tr a -
d itio n a l “ a r ts a n d c r a ft s ” m a te -
ria ls — c la y , w o o d , g la s s , m e ta l
a n d fib e r . T h e b o o k e n c o u n -
te r s d iffic u lt t e r r ito r y r ig h t o n
s c h e d u le , ju s t as t h e a u th o r s
p r e s e n t a c o g e n t e x p lo r a tio n
o f th e w a y s c r a f t e d u c a tio n
e v o l v e d a f te r W o r l d W a r I I .
C r a f t e r s n o w w o r k i n g o n
an u n p r e c e d e n t e d s c a le w i t h -
in u n iv e r s it ie s , fr e e d o f th e
n e e d t o e a r n a li v i n g b y s e llin g
w a r e s , w e r e a b le t o d e v e lo p
a n e w k in d o f “ c r a f t a r t o b -
j e c t , ” c u r io u s ly d e t a c h e d
fr o m t h e m a r k e t p la c e ( a n d
lite r a l f u n c t io n a lit y ) , w h i le
t h o s e la b o r in g o u ts id e a c a -
d e m ia w h o w e r e m o r e r e ta il-
m in d e d t e n d e d t o a c c u s e
t h e a c a d e m ic s o f b e in g d is -
c o n n e c t e d fr o m th e “ r e a l”
c r a ft w o r ld . T h is d iv id e is o n e
f a c t o r th a t h a s c o n t r ib u t e d
t o t h e w e l l - d o c u m e n t e d
id e n t i t y c r is is c r a ft h as fa c e d
e v e r s in c e .
T h e o b je c t s t h a t r e s u lte d
fr o m th is e r a a n d t h e f o l l o w -
in g d e c a d e s , c la s s ifie d s o m e -
w h e r e in b e t w e e n fin e a r t
a n d c r a f t , s t ill o c c u p y a k in d
o f in t e lle c t u a l p u r g a t o r y
r e q u ir in g t h e ir o w n m u s e u m s ,
g a lle r ie s , a r t fa ir s , a n d ( y e s )
m a g a z in e s . K o p l o s a n d
M e t c a l f c o u ld h a v e u s e d
M ak-
ers
t o g i v e s tu d io c r a f t a n a r -
r o w e r r e t r o s p e c t iv e fo c u s
b y e x c lu d in g w o r k s lik e th e
s c u lp tu r e s o f V i o l a F r e y o r
L e n o r e T a w n e y , b u t u n d e r -
s ta n d in g t h a t th is c o n u n d r u m
is k e y t o th e s t o r y t h e y ’ r e t e l l-
in g , t h e y t a k e a b r o a d e r v i e w ,
w h i c h e x p la in s h o w c e r ta in
s c u lp t o r s , b y d in t o f t h e ir
t r a in in g a n d u s e o f m a te r ia ls
a n d t e c h n iq u e s , c a m e t o b e
u n d e r s t o o d a s “ c r a f t e r s ” in
t h e fir s t p la c e .
Makers
g o e s fa r t o w a r d
p a v in g t h e w a y f o r t h e s tu d y
o f s t u d io c r a f t t o g a in t h e
c r e d ib ilit y it h a s lo n g d e s e r v e d
as a r ic h e x p r e s s io n o f an a e s -
t h e t ic a n d s o c ia l p o in t o f v i e w ,
a li f e s t y le , a n e th o s , a n d an
in c u b a t o r f o r ta s te a n d id e a s .
— SARAH ARCHER
Sarah Archer is director of
Greenwich House Pottery in
New Tork City.
mesmer earrings
by Lisa Jenks
ster ing silver
.
■
3831 Grand Way
St. Louis Park. MN 55416
952.922.8364
jewelry
home
chocolate
w w w .StyleByM ax.com
N o r t h e r n
C
l a y C
e n t e r
Northern Clay Center Congratulates
2010 McKnight Ceramic Artists Fellowship Recipients
Heather Nameth Bren. Savage, MN | Linda Christianson, Undstrom. MN
and 3-Month Residency Recipients
William Cravis. Berkeley. CA | Kevin Snipes, Helena, MT
Applications for 2011
will be available in fall 2010 online at
www.northernclaycenter.org.
20 American Pottery Festival
20th Anniversary Edition
September 9 - 12, 2 0 10
85 Artists I Conversations I Demonstrations I Collectors’Tour
Proceeds benefit NCC exhibitor. education. and artist senates profreins
2 4 2 4 F r a n k l in a v e E
M in n e a p o l is , M N 5 5 4 0 6
W W W .NORTHERNCLAYCENTER.ORG
6 1 2 - 3 3 9 - 8 0 0 7
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