IDEAS
One o f your chapters is called
“Death of a Craftsman.” In it,
you explain that as goods have
become more disposable,
demand for craftspeople has
shrunk - making handcrafted
objects more rare and expen-
sive. Our economy raises the
question: Is it elitist to expect
people to pay a higher price for
handmade items?
We’ve become a little bipolar.
In one way, we view handcraft-
ed objects as available only to
the wealthy. But in the past,
we made things by hand
because it was economical.
We grew up with grandmothers
who knit - and that’s the oppo-
site of elitist.
Those who view craftsman-
ship as elitist don’t realize that
craft doesn’t need to be pre-
cious; it can be functional.
A well-made table will last for
years, but craftsmanship takes
time, and that’s the enemy of
discount stores. In the post-
industrial age, capitalism is
about making things available
to as many people as possible,
which means as cheaply as pos-
sible. Mass production has led
shoppers to view a table as just a
table, a vase as just a vase. Many
people don’t expect to find craft
in everyday objects.
With well-crafted goods,
there is a relationship attached
to the object. Craftsmen rely
on skill, commitment, and judg-
ment. Choosing to purchase
something well-made that
someone has invested time and
skill in is rational, not elitist.
A s a culture that prioritizes
bargains, how do w e learn to
determine quality?
While Americans love low prices,
they are capable of demanding
true value. You can see this in
the automobile industry.
When it comes to buying a
car, Americans aren’t looking
for the cheapest. They’re look-
ing for cars that will last and
not cost them more in future
expenses such as gas and main-
tenance. We’ve set our own
standard for quality in cars, and
we can do this with all goods.
Does a weak economy increase
the appeal of discount goods?
Those who own discount
stores, and who have never had
to buy cheap goods, are the ones
who believe that. Working-
class folks in particular have felt
burned by discount culture for
a long time. They would prefer
to have better product choices.
They would prefer to be able
to shop at places other than
Wal-Mart.
Now, with the recession,
people outside of the working
class are feeling this frustration
as well. People who had much
better-paying jobs in the past
no longer have options. They’re
stuck. The recession has brought
a new swell of anger from the
middle class - and this is a cycle
that can be broken when people
start to think about it.
In an attempt to appeal to a
larger audience, some crafts-
people have added manufac-
tured pieces to their collections.
Does this practice in any way
undercut the value of their
handmade items?
I think it depends on the circum-
stances of the manufacturing.
There’s a difference between
mass production overseas and
smaller batches being manufac-
tured locally.
I believe slow manufacturing
is a great hope for America’s
future. Local small businesses
that make high-quality work are
a great way to get people back
into business. The question of
whether a craftsperson is dilut-
ing their brand is a question that
each needs to address personally.
H ow realistic is it to think
Americans w ill stop shopping
at discount retailers?
[Laughs.] Don’t get me wrong.
I don’t think that global compa-
nies like Wal-Mart are going
out of business anytime soon.
They spend a lot of money on
maintaining their image. The
question we have to ask is
whether the system is sustain-
able, and the answer is no. We
can’t continue this forever for
basic environmental and eco-
nomic reasons.
I’m not an economist; I’m an
observer. And right now people
are rethinking the consequences
of their purchases. Ten years
ago this wasn’t happening. We
don’t have the American Dream
anymore. Many people are
wondering about the future for
their children. The next genera-
tion has fewer opportunities
than their parents did. We’ve
gotten to a point where people
are realizing this.
There was an article in the
New York Times
about the num-
ber of young people who are
turning away from the corpo-
rate world - college-educated
young people, going toward
something their grandparents
did. People are trying to get
their hands on something.
+
ellenruppelshell.com
Shannon Sharpe, former deputy
editor for
American Craft,
is
a freelance ivriter in Brooklyn,
New York.
jun/jul n american craft 067
