CCI-newsletter-1980-27-July-August

JULY/AUGUST 1980

NEWSLETTER

LTD. Thomas Prior House, Merrion Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 Telephone 01 680764

Conference 1980 The Crafts Council Conference/Seminar will be held in Galway this year and details of costs, accommodation and other relevant matters will be sent out to all craftsmen on the Council's list early in September.

The theme Why Design? is felt to be an important one following, as it does, previous conferences devoted to craftsmanship and to the business of being a craftsman. It is of fundamental importance that the design element should be examined in some depth. It is probably often overlooked that design needs to be a conscious function in the making of any product and that it cannot be isolated from the market place. To merely make and hope it will sell lacks a professionalism which is needed in every aspect of being a craftsman today.

The format of the Conference will be towards participation rather than having delegates sitting and being talked at.

RDS California Gold Medal forGlassblower Keith Leadbetter who, this year, opened his hand-blown glass studio under the name Jerpoint Glass in County Kilkenny, was awarded the California Gold Medal at the RDS National Crafts Competition.

This award which, with the Crafts Council's Silver Medal, is one of the two most prestigious prizes at the competition, has been won by many who have become among the best craftsmen in Ireland in the last twelve years. Many of these have been weavers, and it is therefore all the better for the crafts in Ireland that work of outstanding merit should be found in another discipline, especially in glass in which there has been little enough innovation in spite of the millions of pounds earned annually at industry level.

Keith Leadbetter's award will be an encouragement to young studio glass students and, hopefully, a good omen for the future of studio glass in Ireland.

ABOVE: Turned wood vase and bowl

by Brother Ciaran Forbes

Crafts Council Medal for Wood Turner The Crafts Council of Ireland's Silver Medal for work of outstanding merit at this year's RDS National Crafts Competition was won by Brother Ciaran Forbes OSB of Glenstal Abbey. Brother Ciaran's craftsmanship has been developing in a monastic setting rich in trees which has allowed him to concentrate on choosing his wood and ensuring its proper conditioning—a professional attitude which many master craftsmen in wood would suggest is the correct approach.

It is of interest to note that, as far back as I930, Glenstal had a craft school concentrating in particular on wood crafts and, under the direction of the late Dom Winoc Mertens, developed some

excellent local craftsmen. A change of policy diverted the resources of the community into more formal education but the essential monastic tradition of craft remained and both Brother Benedict Tutty, in precious metal work and, more recently, Brother Ciaran Forbes in wood, are indicators of the strength of the tradition which, Glenstal apart, goes so far back in Irish monastic circles.

Brother Ciaran has undertaken a number of commissions and also sells through the monastery shop, and this present award is perhaps both the accolade for his craftsmanship and a spur to developing this into an enterprise which can contribute in product and employment to the nation as a whole.

Crafts Council of Australia Fellowship The Crafts Council of Australia has offered, since 1978, a Fellowship open to Australian and overseas applicants. We hope the Fellowship will attract people who have made a significant impact in their field, which may be in any area related to the crafts. Those eligible, there­ fore, not only include craftsmen but also writers, curators, conservators, arts administrators, educationalists, gallery directors, etc. The Fellowship is available for a six to twelve month period, although an extension beyond a year may be considered. The fee will be $A16,500 per annum and extra financial assistance in the form of materials, research assistance, studio space, or other needs, may be provided. Since the term of the Fellowship will be spent in Australia, we see it as being of benefit both to the Fellow and to the country. The Fellow­ ship is not a study grant.

The Crafts Council of Australia was established in 1971 and is funded annually by the Federal Government through the Australia Council. As the Federation of the Crafts Councils of the States and Territories, it acts as a liaison body and focal point for the crafts in Australia. Membership is through the State Craft Councils; however, the use of its services is not confined to members only. The Council publishes Craft Australia, a quarterly national journal containing information, features and photographs on all aspects of craft activity throughout Australia and over­ seas. The Council also offers a wide information service through Crafts Resource Productions which produces films, slide kits, books and leaflets on the crafts. All material is available for sale or hire. Full details of its services are published in its catalogue annually.

The Council maintains a Project Office which handles the Fellowship scheme and other workshop, conference and lecture programmes. It produces a National Newsheet and carries out other one-off projects such as a National Craft Trade Fair.

The Council established in 1978 the Crafts Council of Australia Gallery which shows changing exhibitions of Australian craft. Among its aims, the Crafts Council seeks to: I. Represent the Crafts Councils on a national basis and co-ordinate their activities; 2. Promote crafts, arts and design in

Australia and encourage a high standard of workmanship; 3. Publish any books, periodicals, leaf­ lets desirable for the promotion of its objectives;

period of six months to a maximum period of twelve months. An extension beyond twelve months may be considered Eligibility The Fellowship is open to Australian and overseas applicants.

Details and application form are available from the Crafts Council of Ireland Secretariat.

4. Encourage education of designers, craftsmen and artists and ensure that adequate training facilities are provided; 5. Conduct and promote lectures, dis­ cussions, exhibitions, demonstrations and any other activity designed to instruct members and other persons;

Exhibition Success

6. Exhibit and promote the work of Australian craftsmen abroad and introduce overseas work and ideas to Australia.

"Irish Gothic," an embroidered panel which won First Prize in the Decorative Embroidery Class of the I979 RDS National Crafts Competition, now hangs in the residence of the Irish Ambassador to Canada in Ottawa.

The Fellowship is a major project of the Crafts Council of Australia and is made possible by the assistance and sponsorship of the Australia Council, art galleries and institutions, educational bodies and with generous support from industry, commerce and individuals.

The panel was designed by Cecil O'Donoghue, assisted by Elizabeth Flattery, and worked by Cecil O'Donoghue, Elizabeth Flattery, Bernadette Browne and Vera Murtagh, as an evening class extension project at the National College of Art and Design.

INFORMATION ON FELLOWSHIP

The panel has a particular relationship to fifteenth century Irish stone carving on tomps. The distinctive treatment of hair, beard and drapery in figures, particularly in the stone work of Jerpoint Abbey, was the main reason for attempting an embroidered adaptation of three such figures, with fabric and thread techniques dictating the changes in decorative detail.

Stone work tracery is suggested with drawn thread work in seaming twill on Irish linen curtaining material. The architectural framework is made of Donegal tweed, and hair and beards are formed by couched down coloured sisal twine.

Finance A stipend at the rate of $A16,500 per annum will be paid.

An economy class return airfare will be provided should the successful applicant be from overseas.

Additional assistance will be available where it is seen as an essential part of the work programme. This may be in the form of materials, research assistance, studio space, equipment etc.

The Crafts Council is unable to provide financial assistance for dependents but will give every assistance to finding suitable accommodation and making any other necessary arrangements.

Travel The Crafts Council will provide an economy class return airfare from place of residence should the successful applicant be from overseas.

Internal economy airfares will also be provided to enable the Fellow to carry out the programme or overseas travel assistance where it is necessary within the project.

Length of Fellowship The Fellowship will be for a minimum

Plagiarism We have been given permission to reprint the article by Ian Johnston, author of Design Protection, which appeared in Crafts, the journal of the UK Crafts Council in May/June. While some of the Acts and precedents quoted relate to UK law, the implications and the basic advice given are nevertheless of value.

"Craftsmen should be as much concerned about design protection as anyone and recently there has been important clarification of the law in Britain.

"Under the 1956 Copyright Act, which also concerns literature, music, films and many other aspects of creative work, there is copyright protection for 'artistic work'—painting, sculpture, drawings, engravings and photographs—and also for works of architecture and for 'works of artistic craftsmanship.' The term of protection in most cases is for the life of the 'author,' plus fifty years. Protection for designs under the 1956 Act is with­ drawn if the design is registered, or if it is reproduced industrially 'in more than fifty single articles or made in lengths or pieces.'

"The 1968 Design Copyright Act greatly increased the scope of design protection.

The basis for the new act was the protection already given under the 1956 Act against copying, in two or three dimensions, of drawings or of 'works of artistic craftsmanship.' The 'author' of the protected work was now allowed to reproduce it industrially, without loss of copyright, for a term of fifteen years. '.'Copyright applies at once and without fuss to original works, whether published or unpublished. Unlike the case of patents or registered designs, there are no forms to fill in, no agents to employ, no fees to pay. The owner of the copyright is the 'author' of the work (the designer), but where he is employed by someone else the copyright belongs to the employer, provided that the work was done in the course of the author's employment.

"The design itself must be original—not a copy. Enough labour and skill must have been expended on it to make it an 'artistic work' (how much is enough has not yet been defined). And, of course, copyright is about copying—if someone else comes up with the same, design by coincidence, he also may market his design and he also may claim copyright on it.

"Most importantly, ideas are not protected. A genuinely alternative design using the same idea is quite legitimate. What is protected is the specific design, to the making of which the designer devoted his skill and labour.

However, mere changes of detail do not free a copyist from copyright.

"The nice distinction between protection for the specific design but not for the idea has been a big worry for designers.

A recent court case (LB Plastics v Swish Products) has given much-needed clarification-and a boost for design production. The House of Lords judges found that the LB Plastics product had been copied. They acknowledged that the copyright does not protect ideas, but agreed that 'this does not mean that, once an idea or concept has been trans­ lated into a working drawing, the drawing cannot enjoy copyright; otherwise it would mean that copyright could not attach to any drawing' (Lord Salmon's words). " I t is important to be clear about the precautions a designer, craftsman or manufacturer should take to safeguard his copyright on original design work. In theory, original drawings or the original 'work of artistic craftsmanship' both provide the basis for protection. Without doubt, however, drawings provide much safer protection. Under the I956 Act they have copyright protection 'irres­ pective of artistic quality.' These important words do not apply to 'works of artistic craftsmanship.' Also, 'drawings' are very broadly defined in the Act to include 'any diagram, map, chart or plan,' and engineering drawings (and point paper plans in textiles) have been deemed to be included by court ruling. The courts moreover, have found it difficult to accept that a work is a 'work of artistic craftsmanship' if it has a functional basis and if the design and the craftsmanship are not united in the same person.

"The moral is clear. Drawings, at all stages of the design of a product/should be dated, signed, recorded in a studio register and kept. They may be very valuable as copyright documents. If a design is created directly as a 'work of artistic craftsmanship,' the work should certainly be dated and kept, but it should also be translated into dated and signed drawings as a safeguard."

Tourism, Passport to Development Recently published under the above title, this joint World Bank-UNESCO study by Professor Emmanuel de Kadi of the Institute of Development Studies at Sussex University was commissioned, some years ago, as a result of a seminar composed of an international group of scientists and tourism administrators.

In relation to crafts, there would appear to be a prevalent concept of tourism as damaging the indigenous art of host countries; "airport craft" is often pointed to as an indication of this cultural degeneration, irrespective of the fact that it primarily reflects the ignorance and bad taste of the tourists.

The report states that "frequently arts, crafts and local culture have been revitalised as a direct result of tourism."

It stresses that policies to stimulate crafts should aim at encouraging the manufacture of crafts not only for use in tourist facilities but also for the population of the country as a whole.

A significant recommendation of the report is that the production of high quality crafts should be encouraged and that crafts should be stimulated by the organisation of associations and meetings of craftsmen as well as exhibitors.

Letter Dear Sir Ballycar Design's letter in your last edition was most appropriate. We also were signatories to the request to have the National Crafts Trade Fair open to foreign buyers. The home market is now very depressed as is borne out by last year's trading at the Fair, and if we wish to continue the Fair in a healthy way we must have this incentive.

What are the Committee's objections?

Last year's Fair was a credit to the Committee, the craftsmen and all who made it such a worthy display of the crafts obtainable in our country—so why the pessimism? It is understandable that those who have never exported may need some help in connection with paperwork etc. I am sure that those who are engaged in export would be willing to assist. Can­ not free seminars and exchanges between beginners and exporters with longer experience in business be arranged, in whatever parts of the country this infor­ mation needs to be shared?

Kathleen Joyce, Cleo Limited

World Crafts Council General Assembly Held this time in Vienna, the biennial gathering of some 1200 craftsmen, administrators and educators from all six continents was an important occasion for study, exchange of information and techniques, and renewal of valuable contacts.

The Crafts Council of Ireland was represented by a delegation of eight which included the Chairman, Miss Blanaid Reddin; the Vice Chairman, Mr Tom Maher; the Executive Officer, Mr E F Sutton; Mr John Murphy from the NCAD; and four craftsmenMessrs Pat Oolan, Brian Clarke, John Verling and Jim O'Donnell. Although one of the smallest European delegations, it nevertheless played a significant part in the policy-making sessions for the European Assembly and for the General Assembly.

The organisation of this year's Assembly was such that it enabled a wide number of lectures, workshops, film shows and demonstrations to take place simultaneously. The range of subjects covered was from communications, marketing, education, administration, publishing and museums on the one hand, to the various craft headings on the other such as metal, ceramics, textiles, wood, leather and paper, glass, etc.

Because it was a world assembly, quite a number of the lectures were more relative to Third World problems than to those more developed countries and so such subjects as "Development work in Lesotho," "Craft promotion in Senegal," and "Crafts in rural areas in Colombia" had little application to conditions in Ireland. Nevertheless, there were many lectures of particular interest which were attended by one or other of the delegates and it is hoped that the texts of these will be available shortly and will be published in a future issue of the Newsletter.

What did come through clearly was that the Crafts Council of Ireland was, in many ways, considered to be one of the •better organised national bodies and there were many calls for the Council's experience in such areas as trade fairs and co-operation with other State agencies in ensuring an improving climate for progress for the craftsman.

At a practical level, the craftsmen delegates were able to benefit from close association with top craftsmen from their own disciplines from other countries

and this was particularly so in the area of metal, glass and ceramics. An example was the demonstration of a new form of lightweight kiln, using the most advanced non-conducting materials which obviated heavy bricks and which could be fired to high temperatures in a very short time.

It was clear that this sort of technical exchange was to the craftsman's benefit and in the next issue of the Newsletter some indications of what the attending craftsmen from Ireland learned will be published.

Both General Assembly and European Assembly official business took up an

Photographed at the World Crafts Council Conference, held in Vienna earlier this year: ABOVE: Miss Blanaid Reddin, Chairman, Crafts Council of Ireland, and Miss Anne Montgomery, Crafts Researcher, Northern Ireland Arts Council.

BELOW: Mr Pat Do/an, silversmith, and Mr E.F. Sutton, Executive Officer, Crafts Council of Ireland.

RIGHT: Mr Tom Maher, Vice Chairman, Crafts Council of Ireland, at the glass blowing workshop.

amount of the administrative time of the Chairman, Vice Chairman and Executive Officer who were the representative delegates at these meetings and, in addition, sat on sub-committees to study aspects of future practical policy and make recommendations for their implementation. All of this is a necessary aspect of a General Assembly to ensure that membership of the World Crafts Council can be of the maximum long term benefit to craftsmen in Ireland.

In this regard, the recommendations formulated to develop a world-wide data bank of information, promoted by the Irish chief delegate, is seen as an important step towards making available the resources of a world body such as the WCC to the advantage of all member organisations.

Inevitably, there were distinctions to be seen in the concerns of craftsmen at different levels. The Third World obviously had a greater concern for the preservation and the development of traditional crafts, and the creation of jobs at a particular level; while the more sophisticated artist craftsmen were more involved in the area of art galleries, museums and collections of craft as works of art.

Professor Max Bill, in his keynote lecture, spoke of the process of destruction caused by the machine and of the process of producing cheaply and in quantity what was handmade a century previously.

Equally, he was critical of the production today of old designs of fifty or more

years ago in a spirit of nostalgia and condemned it for merely producing bad copies of what were, in their time, bad anyway. Mass production he saw as of social importance and craft production as vital to culture.

He was clear that a distinction should be made between arts and crafts. Art, he suggested, was something created in free space which becomes an object for use of the mind. Crafts, on the other hand, must be useful objects, different from the mass produced and they should become more beautiful than their everyday use. Hand craft design he saw as relating to usability independence and beauty. The preparation of an individual product must come from the expert craftsmen, men who design for man.

Apart from the keynote speech by Max Bill, there were others which also philosophised on the meaning of crafts and their function in today's world.

The philosphers were, perhaps, less sure than the craftsmen themselves and this was evident in the many workshops where the craftsmen demonstrated clearly the sureness of their role, and their exploration of techniques and innovations left no doubt that the craftsman is not slow to exploit new technology.

All in all, an Assembly with something for everyone and an indication that craftsmanship surpasses all language barriers and in one sense is a contributor to a greater understanding and brotherhood among nations.

Quote "The professional training and the future prospects of the crafts person, who will represent a creative element within a productive industrial society, will be characterised by a thoroughly professional training on the basis of complex thinking processes."

Carl Auboeck

Trophy Design Competition Thousands of trophies are awarded every year for sporting and cultural achievements. The organisations and firms are faced with the dilemma of either having to buy a standard product with little individuality or go to the expense of having to commission a special design.

Hardly less expensive or more satisfactory is to buy a piece of glass or silver which will not have the character of a trophy and "individualise it by engraving.

The Crafts Council of Ireland, supported by the Industrial Development Authority, saw in this situation an opportunity to develop a series of craft-based trophies and, as a result, has invited professional craftsmen to submit designs for trophies in any material such as might be reproduced in reasonable quantities and which will reflect Ireland's resources of craftsmanship and design.

A jury will, if the standard is high enough, select entries for two awards from a prize fund of £500. A further sum of up to £300 has been set aside for the commissioned production of the winning design for award by the I DA at the National Crafts Trade Fair 1981 to the product of most outstanding merit in the particular context of the Trade Fair.

The competition is for the design and specification of objects suitable for presentation as trophies. They may be of any material and process that utilises Ireland's resources of craftsmanship and design and must be capable of at least limited quantity production at a cost such as might be afforded by business firms, associations and other bodies that sponsor awards.

Such requirements allow considerable scope in cost between a few pounds and a maximum of £60, and in size between an object measuring a few inches and a maximum of 20 inches in height or diameter, and the jury will assess each design on its own merits within its cost bracket.

The closing date is 11 September I980 and entry forms are available from Crafts Council of Ireland. All craftsmen on the Crafts Council register have already been circulated with copies of the entry form and rules.

A f f l K H A T K O M sumnfl (BUJELP M E W § RDSNationalCraftsCompetition This year there were 789 entries, the highest entry since the competition was revived in 1968. Despite this, it is most gratifying to note that the judges reported a higher and better standard than in previous years.

It is also interesting to note that many of those regarded as working in the top professional bracket were among the award winners, and not for the first time.

There is a lesson also to be learned by the fact that, in many of the contemporary craft categories, the first prize winners were from Northern Ireland: pottery, decorative and sculptural ceramics; jewellery and woven fabric design.

The winners of the First Prize in the various classes are listed below: Class 1 — Pottery for Use John Murphy, Antrim, Northern Ireland Class 2 — Decorative and Sculptural Ceramics Margaret Galway, Holywood, Northern Ireland Class 3 — Glass for Domestic or Decorative Purposes Keith Leadbetter, Jerpoint Glass Studio, Kilkenny Class 6 - Gold and Silver Work James Mary Kelly, Kilkenny Class 7 — Jewellery Brian Robert Lynn, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Class 9 — Objects made in Wood including Sports Goods Brother Ciaran Forbes, Glenstal Abbey, Limerick Class 10 — Musical Instruments James F O'Halloran, Cork

The purpose of the event is to exchange ideas and information among practising potters from all over the country, to learn from each other and from the guest Class 12 — Work in Irish Leather speakers. Not least among the aims of the Carmen & Edmond Chesneau, Co Wicklow weekend will be the bringing to light of major common problems and suggesting Class 14 — Knee Rugs, Bed Covers, etc. ways in which these may be solved.

Junko Okamura, Avoca, Co Wicklow Talks will include one on Irish clay Class 15 — Tapestry and Wall Hangings sources, and guest speakers will be Eric James Mellon and Jill Crowley.

Muriel Beckett, Marlay Craft Courtyard, Rathfarnham CPSI, which is an affiliated member of Class 17 — Resist-dyed Fabric the Crafts Council has, by the enthusiasm of its members and the hard work of its Frieda Meaney, Killarney, Co Kerry committee, made considerable progress Class 18a — Limerick Lace towards becoming one of the more vital craftsman organisations in the country. It Marion Mangan, Lismore, Co Waterford is this vitality which is such a valuable contribution to ensuring that the craft Class 18b — Carrickmacross Lace sector's strength and contribution to the Marie Cullen, Kingscourt, Co Cavan economic and cultural life of the nation deserves full recognition.

Class 18c — Irish Crochet Mary Muldowney, Thomastown, Kilkenny

Class 19b — Patchwork and Quilting Rita Whelan, Clontarf, Dublin Class 20 — Ceremonial Use Wilma Kirkpatrick, Ballymena, Northern Ireland

Handweavers Guild of Cork

They are now to have their first exhibition of weaving in the Cork Arts Society Gallery in Lavitts Quay, Cork,

Cork Potters are having a workshop weekend from 5 to 8 September in Bandon, Co Cork. Crafts Council of Ireland is helping with sponsorship, as are Cork Craftsman's Guild and a number of trade suppliers.

Class 11 - Rod, Rush and Straw Work Joe Hogan, Clonbur, Co Galway

Class 8 — Enamelling Anne M Murphy, Callan Design Workshops, Drogheda

This new Guild was recently formed by handweavers, spinners and dyers in County Cork. The Guild was organised as a means of exchanging information, investigating new techniques and arranging special projects.

PottefsWorksropVWeekend

opening on 8 September. It will run for two weeks. In addition to being a show­ case for the weavers, most of whom sell their work through craft shops, the exhibition is designed to acquaint the public with the wide range of Irish weaving available which will include scarves, belts, jackets, ponchos, table mats, cushions, floor rugs and wall hangings.

Musical Instrument Exhibition Triskel Gallery in Cork will be the venue for an interesting exhibition of musical instruments opening on 8 September.

The exhibition features the work of the students who have been studying the making and repairing of musical instruments at the Cork School of Music Course, under the guidance of William Patterson. An added attraction will be the exhibition of some instru­ ments by William Patterson himself, who will be showing a Viola de Gamba; and another professional, Colin Hamilton, who will show some flutes.

Citterns, mandolins and fiddles will be the examples of student work which is of a very high order.