Conversations - 02 - Craft and Art

I have sat in a lot of conversations about craft and art.  At some point despite the fact that it has 5 letters, Craft has become a 4-letter word.  Many want to be considered artists and hate to be called a craftsperson.  Or painting and sculpture are considered high art where the crafts would be considered low art if art at all.

Craft objects are typically created in wood, clay, metal, textiles, and glass.  They usually serve a decorative function - "function" being a key word.  Art does not have to function and typically it's better that it doesn't.  Craft performs a function.

But what about craft as a verb instead of a noun?  When an object is crafted well, or a person was able to craft an object, one would assume that the object was made with skill and human attention.  This in turn gives the object more value than something off the production line somewhere overseas.

So basically, I embrace craft and consider myself a craftsman.  I'll leave the art label to higher ed and critics.  I want my pieces to function, be decorative and unique, and communicate  Hopefully, the more people embrace craft - both from the creator and viewer sides - the better we'll be as a community.  This I believe.

Conversations - 01 - Why Blog? Why Etsy? Why Flickr & Facebook?

I'm typically pessimistic when it comes to the online world - until recently.  I've had some conversations with people where I've had to explain my rationale about switching from a regular website to having the blog as my homepage.  When I opened up the blog a couple of years ago, I only posted 3 times.  And those posts were...well, they just were.

Although I still stick to my convictions that we all should be prudent when it comes to our use of technology, I think that I should be less cynical and more "involved" in the platforms I choose to use.

I feel that "blogging with focus" allows me to give insight into what I create and why.  Or does that take away from the viewer's ability to make meaning and connection on his/her own terms?  Regardless, this journaling allows the process to unfold over time. I also like the archiving of it.  Over time, I tend to throw everything away.  I can't tell you how many pictures, drawings, and books i've gotten rid of.  I recently uploaded drawings and sketches on to my flickr gallery.  If the originals get lost in the shuffle, oh well.  It's not as if those were ever intended for the gallery.

The community component of these online platforms is something I've been ignoring.  It seemed to be the only reason to be online was for self-centered reasons.  After a conversation I had recently, I was given a new way to think about it.  We were talking specifically about Etsy but the same applies to Facebook and Flickr as well.  Craft is based on community.  Yes, it's about individuals creating things but within a community and collective contribution.  Well, how does that look in a society that is now global and online?  Etsy is an example of craft people coming together, collaborating and participating in support of each other.  I've always said that if you are in a crowd of 19 other people with everyone looking out after their own interest, you have only one person looking out after you - you.  But if that same crowd is looking out after its neighbors first, then you have 19 people looking out after you.

All is this is a rambling that basically says that I've given it a lot of thought. And through some important conversations, I've redefined my views about the virtual world and will intentionally participate online with thought and focus.

Making a Pair of Buckles - progress to date

I posted a couple of pictures on the next buckle - pair - that I am making. I've made some more progress and wanted to post the pics in order up to this point.

1. select etched piece from Print 01 plate

2. determine design and size

3. paste design on etching

4. select a piece that will show on the back and where the functional pieces will attach to

5. make the cut

6. scribe the design onto the silver (I'd like to figure out how to cut both pieces at once)

7. scribed silver

8. both pieces are cut

Change of Pace

I walked to work this morning - 3 miles. Only takes about 50 minutes. Yeah...the car is in the driveway and fully functional,  could take the bus which picks up at the apartment and drops off outside the office and I have a bike.  But there is something about walking - change of pace, change of perspective.

I had been enrolled at UNT in the MFA - Metals program for the past 3 semesters.  However, I have decided to not enroll for this Spring semester and to withdraw completely.  In doing this, I told myself that I was going to spend the spring semester just kind of walking around, taking it easy.  Being at UNT definitely helped me slow down in creating work. Before that I was listening too much to the "you can make money if you would do this..." And even though I never took the advice of the "money makers", it did create a hurried approach to my making. And with a hurried approach comes less thought.  But it was my first exposure to an Arts program.  It had a profound impact on my work - more focused and cohesive.

So I decided to take a step back.  Maybe I'm not quite ready to pursue a career as collegiate studio professor.  Instead, I'm going to walk around and tune in to the world around me.  Because it's during those times when I'm concentrating and eliminating distractions that I'm figuring out what it is that I'm doing.  That's when things make sense most.  And it's during that process that what I want to create starts to take shape.

Next project is making a pair of buckles.  I'll put up pics as to how they come about.

So I've been staring at this piece for the past several months. This is the last of the plate that went into making Print 01 (see Photo Gallery > Prints).

So finally decided.  I've gotten a lot of compliments on Buckles 3 & 4 of the 2009 buckles.  So I came up with the design of the water cut out.  That's where I'm at now with it.  Hope to start making the cuts next week.

What's up for 2010?

Every year I decide on a theme. Last year the theme was to Simplify and Focus. So I asked myself, "What am I doing? Or 'what the hell am i doing' as Mara - my wife - puts it? And whatever I'm doing, is it necessary or unnecessary?"

Now maybe I have a tendency to get lost in my head and think too deeply about things...but anyway...

That theme helped structure my work for 2009. I cut out some of the unnecessary things distracting me from giving each piece thought and focus. So looking at how to build upon that, this year's theme is Concentrate - to focus one's powers, efforts, or attention.

In this digital age, we are exposed to so much information, imagery, and communication. It seems as if we can do anything. Just look it up online and learn the "how to." It is very easy to get distracted from what you really want to do and become a "multi-tasker." We pride ourselves on our ability to be present in small percentages to various tasks at one time.

So how does relate to my work with metal? I want my work to reflect this theme of concentration and my efforts in the studio to be intensely focused on craftsmanship. When looking at and holding my work, I want the viewer to feel the energy that went in to each piece.

And that's what's up.

Looking back on 2009

It's been a transforming year. My first year in the UNT grad metals program has taken me in some new directions with my metal work. I've brought back techniques that I haven't used in awhile such as etching and riveting because I was focused on wax carving and casting for the past few years. With learning to make intaglio prints at UNT, I'm able to apply etching in a new way. It's been a bridge between my interest in drawing and metalwork. Being in class has also allowed me to take a step back and focus on each piece and craftsmanship. I feel that that is something I was losing sight of with thoughts of sales and production.

I really feel that I've come into a new stage with my work. I'm still learning and always will by experimenting and trying new things. But this new stage is one where I feel I'm communicating and creating what's within me. The resulting work is created on a solid foundation and with conviction. Because of this, I was able to close out the year by making 2 custom pieces requested by friends for their significant others. What I find cool about that is the fact that I was thought of by someone for someone else. They had to go out on a limb because they knew they liked my stuff but how could they be sure of that for whom they were giving it to. So i find that to be a good indicator that I'm doing the work that I should be doing. And that's cool.

Here are those 2 pieces:

Online Forums

I continuously debate with myself on how I want to use the internet. Being a craftsperson/artist/artisan/whatever and also posting in a virtual world creates an internal dilemma/discussion. Sometimes I'm at peace with the existence of both and sometimes I struggle. As I engage in this internal conversation, I keep a few words close to define my approach to whatever I do on the internet: prudence, discipline, focus, and tool.

So I've decided to create a Facebook page for my work. In the past, I had a personal page which I have since abandoned. It became overwhelming for me, but may be something I come back to in the future. Here's the link to that:

http://www.facebook.com/business/dashboard/#/pages/Unique-Sterling-Design-by-John-David-Tisdale/218928151020

Blogging is a new thing for me. But it has made sense thus far to have it. Eventually I may make it my website home page and not pay web space any longer.

Next up, Etsy.