Putting yourself out there…

Thinking about the “Arts & Crafts” movement of the late 1900s, early 20th century and pondering Carol Duvall’s HGTV show — I’m reminded of an artist friend’s comment, “That’s craft, not art,” as she viewed some of my early pieces. The derision in her voice was quite evident. When did crafts become synonymous with unthinking and unoriginal? Probably sometime in the Early Stewart Age (as in Martha). Crafts became mindless diversion, silly and inconsequential, when associated with “homemaking”. How did this happen? Was it when the term “craft” became more associated with womanly pleasant-home-for-family duties than men with forges and wrought iron?

I wonder.

Crafts copy patterns but remain individualistic. I am reminded of my friend Lynn’s amazing gourds. Talk about artistic! The complete combination of historical processes, intricate design and artistic concepts in the carving of gourds is absolutely astounding. Hardly a mere craft… because there’s a sneer associated with the word now.

The point? I guess if a writer has to explain the meaning of an article, then they didn’t do a very good job writing it — still — I will explain:

Here, on my desk, I can’t help but smile as I look at a hand-woven pot holder, given to me sometime in the early-1980s by my daughter Jane. Odds are, you made one too. Remember the square form and the polyester loops you wove into a beautiful pattern and proudly presented to someone — a grandma, mom, or aunt — when you were in gradeschool? Yeah, you made one. And here, near my iMac, on the wall hangs a watercolor of a Princess c. 1986 painted by daughter Caroline, matted & framed. My children and their crafts. My grandsons and their crafts. My 91-year-old Mom is trying to do counted cross stitch again. We’ve convinced her that art work is no less significant when it is 9 squares to the inch instead of 18. (If you do needlework, you’ll get that.)

When an Art becomes a Craft, it is somehow weakened. Craft implies busy-work for bored housewives with no original thought. Or it can mean unimaginative assembly-line construction created by the overseas masses. And that’s sad to me. It somehow demeans tradition. Painters, weavers, woodworkers. Needlework. Architectural design, stained glass… coppersmiths… my ancestors created intricate and beautiful, unique and creative objects which fill my house. Their pleasure-time pursuits are Art to me. Their time spent “Crafting” is a legacy of love.

Arts AND Crafts.