Abstract-
The interweaving of traditional crafts within contemporary art and the importance of these crafts as an influence within the current art world. Being an artist and having an interest within craft for my own artistic practise Using sewn in elements into paintings of the domestic home and its objects. Looking into current artists such as Grayson Perry, Alice Kettle, Jilli Blackwood who all use textile as a vessel for their artwork. Deep diving into the values of craft within contemporary art and the many opinions through art historians and critics such as Tanya Harrod and Glenn Adamson have had. Most importantly Richard Sennets through his book ‘The Craftsmen’ that changed the view on craft for it being a skill rather than a practical doing. Investigating the loss of traditional crafts due to the advancements within technology, such as wooden boat building however looking into artists such as James Dodd who have taken their artistic stance to help preserve the craft through his creative process. Also exploring the extraordinary ways in which artists such as Kate Blacklock and Chris Gustin use technology to create ceramic pieces that has always needed the use of artists to create Highlighting the divisions within traditional craft and fine art through technology, Therefore, showing the importance craft has on art throughout and its purpose leading to industrialization.
- Traditional craft and its history within textile - The Evolution of traditional craft - The Arts and Crafts Movement
Chapter Two 9
- The importance of traditional craft through contemporary artists - Dying crafts and the preservation through art with James Dodds - Artist acknowledgements
Chapter Three 16
- Businesses through craftwork
- Technology within traditional crafts and the impact it has had
- The benefits of technology on artist working within craft Conclusion 19 References
List of Illustrations-
Fig 1.
Anya Paintsil, ‘I am a one man band (i)’, 2023 Pg7
Fig 2.
James Dodds, ‘St Ives Lugger ‘Celeste’, Oil on Linen, (95x 120cm) ………………………………... Pg10
Fig 3.
Jilli Blackwood, ‘Millenium Kilt #1’, Wool, Cotton, Velvet and Silk, (61 x 142cm) ……………. …Pg11
Fig 4.
Jilli Blackwood, ‘Figure of My Life’, Mixed materials weave, (125 x 115cm) Pg13.
Fig 5.
Erin M. Riley, ‘Restraint’, Wool and Cotton, (81.3 x 121.9 cm) 2016……………………….………. Pg13.
Fig 6.
Grayson Perry, ‘The vanity of small differences’, Tapestry (200x400cm) 2012 . Pg14
Fig 7.
Alice Kettle, ‘Grey Turning to Yellow’, Thread on Linen, (132 x128cm) ………………………….…. Pg15
Introduction
Craft within art has become an interest of mine and has started to sneak its way into my own creative process. Using textiles and threads to enhance acrylic paintings, using the materials to give dimension to areas where paint can only do so much. It has been a learning curve teaching myself the skills to develop my intended look.
Growing up in a home where my mum created the most beautiful quilts that were on every seat in the house, cross-stitched scenes hung up in frames and some made into cushions. As she continues to be sitting on the couch surrounded by threads and overflowing sewing boxes. Being inspired by her love to make and create has fuelled this natural progression in my own work. She installed the idea of what craft is in my brain. It is a part of home life. It is a way to switch off your mind and focus on something so detailed and intricate, creating something to share with friends and family. So, handmade crafts hold a huge significance in my heart.
Expecting this is a common theme amongst craft artists in finding their own inspiration. There is a history to why they create the way they do. The importance of the craft growing from its significance. When reading Craft by Richard Sennet (1997) I came across a statement that was said during a taped conversation between Janis Jefferies and Roy Voss called “Too close for comfort” Roy Voss said “ Maybe the implication of an object is like an imprint or like a footprint, a trace, a residue, in excess of the languages we have, to describe all that we think we know” (1997, Pg16) this interested me as they had spoken previously about a teacup that was inherited from their grandparents and they held the memories and looking into the traditional craft its all about the passing down of a skill. The skill may make an object but the way its created holds stories from the people who did the same. In a way crafting holds onto the past while the making is in the present. This arguably could mean it does not hold a place in a contemporary setting. Or it means that everything we create is to look backwards. Holding on to nostalgia, which may be the case but can be the fuel for artist’s work.
Woodwork being another traditional craft of interest. My Dad being a DIY man growing up taught me basic carpentry when wanting to make barbeque huts or outdoor bin covers. Making them useful but beautiful. Learning how wood should be treated and cured to protect what you need to be protected Using this new process within creating art has sparked a creative flame. When researching I came across a division within craft and contemporary art and wanted to find out more. Why is craft considered just a hobby and not an art?
The interest started by thinking of a tapestry or quilt that my mum would have made. How some are just for decoration or to lay over your bed for warmth when it’s needed, but some are hung up in contemporary art galleries against harsh white walls and bright lights showcasing every small stitch which is viewed by many and analysed by creative critics. Would this then make that tapestry contemporary art? Does the way its exhibited change the way we view objects? quilts and tapestries were created for religious reasons, storytelling and teaching. Trying to find the meaning of such intricate pieces where many women historically made just in their free time. One of the oldest tapestries made called ‘The Bayeux Tapestry’ is famously known for its grand size and the amazing history that it holds. (Bayeux Museum, 2023) The tapestry has been telling the story of the Duke of Normandy conquering England in 1066. Since the 11th century this tapestry was and still is the biggest inspirations for embroidered embellished tapestry. More recently and locally the Dundee tapestry has been on exhibition since October 2024, again after adding more to the continuing story of Dundee. Maybe not as grand as the story of battles and monumental changes in history but just as important. Looking at the craft of the Dundee tapestry shown at the V&A, its intricate detail of the different areas that is known as the home of Duncan and Jordanstone College of Art and Design. It’s interesting to see the changes throughout time documented within the skill of needle and thread and how even centuries later tapestries are still used to tell a story. (The Dundee Tapestry, 2024)
Analysing the use of craft in contemporary art is to aid my own practise. Looking into what traditional handmade craft is and the ways in which some think craft is contemporary, and some think it isn’t. Therefore, looking into artists who use these techniques in their work currently. How they showcase the tradition of craft and the importance of creating. With everything becoming more and more digital we don’t want to lose the amazing skills that craftsmen and women have spent years teaching. In saying so, keeping an open mind to the innovative designers and artists that use craft in contemporary ways using technology. Blurring the line.
Chapter 1:
Traditional craft can mean something different to every person. Traditions can be perceived in many ways as it’s what you learn from generation to generation. It depends on people and people change constantly. Crafts consist of making objects as Google would inform you, Craft is the making of an object or thing that is for use or decoration. Usually, a hobby or for customer consumption. If talking to anyone who creates using a craft and has taken a lifetime to learn this
skill to create what they desire, it is more than just an object. They have stories and history held within them.
When looking into craft there has been a difference between having the skill to craft and “craftsmanship.” Being a craftsman means you’ve dedicated everything to create. For example, the old tradition of Japanese woodwork. Those craftsmen have learnt from generations before them, how to carve the wood to the exact millimetres to fit into each other for stability for wooden structures or homes. Famously a Japanese master at his craft of ‘Sashimono’ which is the technique of assembling without nails. Only using the wood to create grooves to perfectly and mathematically fit into each other. Mr Zuishin Nakadoi was awarded ‘living national treasure’ in Japan for his work in 1984. He was also awarded the title of ‘Keeper of woodcraft’ (Japan Woodcraft Association, 2019) which showcases the skill he had and the affect it had on Japan at that time. He was a pivotal role in the tradition of Japanese ‘Sashimono’ craft. Their relationship with the wood is what is sought after. Those craftsmen before them trialling how to make the woodwork together and the craftsmen before them deciding what woods are best to use. Making Mr Zuishin Nakadoi one of the most well-known and influential craftsmen. Many more people in different sectors of craft will have iconic craftsmen and women to be inspired by.
Craftsmanship is an everchanging evolution of the skill to craft that is always to stay the same. Whereas people who use a skill learnt within a craft such as embroidery. There are many ways stitches are kept the same, but the method can adapt to create something new every time. It is a traditional craft but can be easily adaptable to create a piece that has a different outcome depending on the person creating it. Reading Artsy article ‘6 Rising Contemporary Artists Using Traditional Craft Techniques’ (Jansen, 2021) was an insight into some of the extraordinary ways artists are using crafts within their art today. One of them being Anya Paintsil who also caught attention on the magazine cover of Crafts (2021). She creates punch needled wall hangings (Figure 1) which she learnt how to do from her grandmother but the use of creating rugs with this method of threading the wool through the backing material has been happening since the 19th century. Historically used to use up scrap materials in poverty areas but now being Paintsil’s main use to create her art. No matter what is seen in her wall hangings her work already holds monumental sentiment
Figure 1.
Anya Paintsil
‘I am a one-man band (i)’ 2023
The evolution of crafts traditionally happens through people. The elders pass on their inherited knowledge to the younger generation and so on. Textile art is one of the oldest traditional crafts there is, as it has been a part of human survival since the first garment was made for clothes and warmth. Embroidery and quilting have also been practiced for thousands of years. In the UK embroidery the earliest recording goes back to medieval times. (School of Stitched Textiles, 2024) Tapestries were created to tell a story and showcase something that was needed to be remembered. Recently I went to the quaker museum in Kendal, England. The Quakers created a tapestry to tell each sentiment and value that a true quaker should follow and showing the evolution of their religious beliefs and the origin of them. It was the first time I’d ever seen a textile piece of art that was for religious reasons. Textiles have been particularly important throughout time in showcasing history. The Quaker tapestry was created in 1981 and started by many quakers worldwide. It is considered one of the largest international embroidered tapestries. The museum displays all 77 panels. Even though I hold no beliefs, it was remarkably interesting to see the community aspect of the piece. The time spent and the many hands learnt the skill of the quaker stitch. (Quaker Tapestry, 2024)
A very famous example of how old English embroidery is, as stated before the Bayeux Tapestry. Dating historically fabrics were handwoven and spun to create the desired piece, this is timely and costs a lot. Historically the fibres from animals like wool would need to be taken and then spun and then soaked making it a very lengthy process.
So, the industrial revolution helped to evolve textiles. Machinery created, made clothes and household linens easier to make reducing the cost of the labour. This creating a big boom as nicer textiles, certain silks or wool for jackets or blankets become more affordable. Less jobs were needed however causing problems. This also changing the class of people being able to purchase them so more accessible fabrics worldwide but brought with a cost. Less money for workers. The Jute Mills mentioned in the Dundee Tapestry being an example of this (The Dundee
Tapestry, 2024) Textile pieces, historically, have been created by women. Examples of women who stand with women in these textile fields is Rosika Parker and another Griselda Pollock (Elkin, 2024), both expressing their views and shaping the way for other women to use textile as a medium to advance. To help make textile work seen for what it is. Art within gender has changed over the years but there still is a slight connotation to fine crafts such as sewing to be made by women only. Many artists such as Grayson Perry is redefining this with his amazing tapestries.
The evolution of the way people perceive crafts is very different. That takes some very strong influential people to convince others that crafted pieces should be considered an art. Similar to before, explaining the differences between craftsmen and people who work within a said craft to create a piece of art. They are the same but different. Explaining art and crafts can be described similarly but also so differently which is the beauty in it. There is this hierarchy that fine art sits at due to the audience that interacts with it. There is a fine line between them nowadays and is blurring more and more whereas historically they were very divided. Art was considered an expressive and visually creative piece of work such as a painting, drawings and sculptures. Craft was a skill to make an item such as pottery, woodworking and quilting.
Reading different articles about art vs craft there seems to be different views but the main mutual feeling towards them is “Art is done more for personal satisfaction, while crafts may also have a certain amount of satisfaction involved, but the finished item is functional, and in many cases, it can be sold.” (artincontext, 2022) The view of art vs craft has been skewed due to the two very influential artists William Morris and art historian, John Ruskin. Especially William Morris being an early influence for the arts and crafts movement in the 19th century in Britain. They both believed that people deserved to live within art. The objects people use daily should hold an aspect of beauty to them, making life more meaningful to showcase art on the pieces we use without even thinking. They separately are amazing artists and have interesting views. William Morris being very well known and mostly having his printed designs in many homes whether that’s textile, ceramic or furniture that were created by him and many may not know who created it His artwork is a business, and he was very passionate about creating beautiful surroundings with his prints. John Ruskin is known for being an art critic and created beautiful watercolour paintings, He became a very well-known writer voicing his opinion on all things art.
Ruskin and Morris had an opinion in common. That being against the industrialisation and mass production of handcrafted objects made by craftsmen which fuelled the arts and
crafts movement. They used their artist connections and social activism to spread the word to other craftsmen to showcase their work artistically. Many artists came from Bauhaus art school which was famous for their purpose to combine crafts and fine arts. Such as Gunta Stölzel, Joseph and Anni Albers. William Morris had his company, Morris, Faulkner, and company which adapted to Morris&Co. Many of the connections created handcrafted furniture and textiles. The company became more of an artists’ collaborative which was what Morris intended, as collective work is essential in creating. There was a lot of controversy in the modern world as the movement was always considered old fashioned and not following the times. Especially with the modern world becoming more industrialised (Encyclopaedia Britannica and Adam Augustyn., 2019) Luckily the movement reached many artists and people with similar beliefs had created work that was influential and continued to spread the word. One of them being architect Arthur H. Mackmurdo who helped revive hand printing which then influenced artists to create domestic objects painted and printed which created the Century Guild for craftsmen. then in time helped create the Art Nouveau art movement. (Edwin Heathcote, 2021) A very brief description of the arts and crafts movement but its essential within the views of crafts in general. Most of the artists who took part in the movement have become iconic artists that we look back at now.
Chapter 2:
The importance of craft work within contemporary art is being shown to always be needed. As many artists now use traditional craft to create their work. And as mentioned before a craft is considered extensive knowledge of a certain area of making, in the case of art. Meaning that artists who are creating with all they know and with the want to learn, everything is then considered a craft.
However certain crafts and handicrafts may not be needed anymore as time evolves and technology is getting more advanced. For instance, wooden boats aren’t as common now and have been replaced with plastic more durable materials so the craftsmen that have learnt the skill to build boats or mend them are decreasing. Being a subscriber to Heritage Crafts charity, there was a BBC News article about the crafts that are becoming extinct in the UK in 2023. (Leisha Chi-Santorelli, 2023) Stated in the article “a total of 259 crafts at risk of disappearing, of those, 146 made it onto the Red List with 62 classified as critically endangered and 84 as endangered.” That unfortunately includes building wooden boat. Patrick Wells, a filmmaker, who was mentioned in the article has taken it on himself to create a craft school that can be accessed online to preserve traditional crafts such as woodwork. (MyOwn2hands.co, 2024) He
became known as articles came out about him successfully creating a boat from scratch and only using traditional methods. (Wells, 2024) He also used his platform to emphasis the mental health benefits of crafting and using your hands to make. That being said, this boat was made with a function, but the importance of this craft was needed to fuel this project. Questions then rising of, taking that boat out of the water and displaying it in galleries, would it be looked at differently?
James Dodds, and artist that was trained as a shipwright and struggled with the paths of art or his craft, he chose art. His work commemorates boatbuilding in his oil paintings. (Figure 2)
Mainly known for his large-scaled paintings that are heavily detailed and almost made as if he was building a boat on the canvas. Making them so mathematically correct that traditional wooden boat craftsmen drool at the sight of them. This being tested as James Dodds was a spokesperson for the Jetty Museums Wooden Boat Gathering, held in June 2024. (Lakeland Arts, 2024) His art is a way to represent the craftsmen and skills that come along with building wooden boats. Instead of using the craft himself he uses his own way to showcase the importance of it. (Dodds, 2016) He was also awarded honorary doctorate from the University of Essex for his “Distinguished contribution to the local community as an artist and defender of our community and natural heritage” in 2007. This was due to his business, Jardine Press Ltd, where he sells books with his infamous paintings and lino prints as illustrations for books to educate people about the tradition of boatbuilding and much more. (Jardine Press Ltd, 2017)
Unfortunately, Jame Dodds is rare in his line of work and tries to preserve a craft that has been forgotten about. Technology and industrialisation feeds into the cause to why these crafts die out as they change the way in which a human is connected to the making of a product but
there are some that have stayed and that are thriving. Sewing, quilting and embroidery will always be needed to repair and create the clothes we wear. Even though factories are created to make items incredibly faster and apparently more efficiently there is always a person needed in the process. At least for now. When looking into artists that use textiles in their work there were many! Theres all sorts of ways to create with textile artistically, some work with needle and thread to create massive sculptures or wall hangings.
Jilli Blackwood. Being a Scottish textile artist, she uses the most traditional fabric in Scotland, that being the kilt and tartan. She created pieces called ‘Millennium Kilts’ (Figure 3)
Where she takes existing kilts and transforms them into new designs. Giving each kilt she creates a unique result. Making them one off valuable pieces of art. She created this design for ‘Men in Skirts’ which was curated by Andrew Bolten at the V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum, 2002) She has become very well known for her tartan designs and has been commissioned by many private and government organisations to create their own tartans. Her name became known when designing a tartan for the 2014 Commonwealth games in Glasgow (BBC News, 2014) When creating the kilts she uses traditional method of hand stitching but has mixed them with machine embroidery and weaving to create multiple quickly. Slowly industrialising her own way of creating. (Create whimsy, 2020) in an interview by Create Whimsy, Jilli Blackwood talks about her process and unlike other craft makers she changes her method every time she creates. Creating a new word “unembroidering” which she explains is removing the stitch and creating texture. Following her intuition, she creates new designs with each weave when making her kilts. Holding the traditional factor of Scottish history but modernising them to tell new stories with her own named tartan.
3
‘Millenium Kilt #1’ Wool, Cotton, Velvet and Silk
Jilli Blackwood
When speaking with Jilli Blackwood I asked how she felt on traditional craft within contemporary settings. She answered briefly on her process saying “I have the mind of an artist who is constantly developing and creating new ideas and work. I lay down my colours/ fabrics which have been hand- dyed as a painter mixes oil on the palette” I found this an interesting way of describing her method. She doesn’t class herself as a crafts person and confessed that textiles get cornered into just a craft or hobby and not a piece of art. Luckily this is changing and there is a demographic who are infatuated with textile art, me being one of them. She sees herself more of an artist that just happens to use fabric. This seems to be a common mindset.
Jilli Blackwood also went through her career from graduating art school to where she is now and the efforts it took to recreate the way in which textile art is seen. Taking it upon herself to wave the flag for the medium to be represented the way it should be but also stated “I am only one artist trying to further the textile medium. There are many others.” Even though later I asked if she had any influences or examples of other artists that are doing the same, she stated “I don’t look, I am too busy living in my own creative mind to care” which may be a mindset we should all live by. Speaking to Jilli Blackwood about her work and the topic of craft was interesting as she works within one but doesn’t class herself a craftsperson at all. She networks and gets her work out there no matter the medium. Still proving the importance of the craftwork within the pieces as she displays her work in contemporary settings.
Beneath is a piece of her work called ‘The Fabrics of My Life’ (Figure 4) which is a curated piece of all her older scrap work she did during her time at Glasgow School of Art. As we had spoken of her career this piece is an example of all her work styles throughout the years. The change within materials, embroidery style, machine weaving and embroidery and oil paint. This piece is almost an example of time changing and technology advancing the craft, Which is seen within her own work especially as you can see in her Millenniums Kilts that the way they have been made is very different to the Fabris of My Life, As there is a cleaner stitch within the fabric. The weaving machines show no flaw. Her previous work was mainly by hand and can come with ‘errors’ that’s if you’re looking at the precision of the stitch. And the intentional scrap look feel to the bottom piece is needed for the meaning of the work.
Figure 4.
‘The Fabrics of My Life’
Mixed materials weave
125 x 115cm
In another contemporary sense, an artist that uses traditional crafting such as tapestry and weaving that I’ve mentioned before is Erin M. Riley. She uses a floor loom to create her very raw and jarring subject matter. She uses her own experiences to create tapestries. She uses the painfully slow process of weaving to create a therapeutic process connecting with her past traumas. Almost to relive them. Showing hard moments, sexuality or drug use, she touches on all subjects of difficulty through life having come from a lot of them. I came across Erins work (Figure 5) when reading an article by Artsy (Fiore, 2019) The article was highlighting artists that use tapestry as their preferred method of working.
Figure 5.
Erin M. Riley
‘Restraint’ Wool and Cotton 2016
An interesting thought is this work considered ‘traditional’ the method of working is as the loom has historically been used to create many tapestries. But does traditional craft need heritage for it to count? When comparing to Jilli Blackwood who is a Scottish artist creating a new version of the kilt which is of her heritage. Maybe not her own tartan but of where she is from. Can this be classed as cultural appropriation? Using a method of making that isn’t
historically their own. My personal opinion on this is topic is that cultures and traditional bleed into each other. Setting the groundwork for interest and people becoming attracted to a way of making. Showcasing more of a cultural appreciation as no disrespect or ill intent is created when trying to make something inspired by something else. No matter the origin, as mentioned before. The Japanese craftsman creating wooden homes, if a Scotsman were to create a house in the same method would that be classed as cultural appropriation or more an infatuation to the way those craftsmen created a structure? If we were to deep dive into this thought process, a lot of what we create is a remix of what is already made. As Kirby Ferguson had showcased in a four-part series called “Everything is a Remix” (Ferguson, 2021) and during his TED talk (TED, 2012) he highlighted to ways in which human creativity works. How we mold our own ways of working with what is already made. How art throughout time has always been a continuation of what someone else has made. The vast resources of trends and what is in at that time. Craft and art being two very large trends that weave in and out of each other all the time. Ferguson following this has created a fifth and final part to the series all about artificial intelligence. How its constantly changing and using what has already been made. AI is the ultimate remixer especially through art and creativity digitally.
Figure 6.
Grayson Perry
The Adoration of the Cage Fighters
‘The Vanity of Small Differences’
2012
Art is subjective. An artist that stands by this is Grayson Perry. Being an artist that uses craft as his medium may not be considered a craftsman. He creates art through material such as clay and textiles. He is also very opinionated on the class of fine art. The way in which art is seen, he likes to test those limits. When reading an essay on the changing context of contemporary art by Min Cawthorne, (Cawthorne, 2015) there’s mention of Perry’s work as he’s a huge influence on how craft is seen nowadays. When asked why he outs ‘vulgar’ scenes and subject matter throughout his work he simply says that’s what makes his work his work. Melting the two worlds of craft and fine art together. Cawthorne stated it is to “deliver messages thus deeming craft as a supplement” which is a fascinating way of rethinking craft. The method of
craft within contemporary art is merely the supplement to what is being told. The tapestries that Grayson Perry makes are the carrier of his art rather than the art of the crafting itself. When looking at the piece Cawthorne is referencing it certainly seems that is the way. (Figure 6)
Alice Kettle is an artist and professor of Textile Arts at Manchester school of art, Manchester Metropolitan University. She is heavily involved in the world of craft and modern art being the lead for the Design and Craft Research Group. Kettle herself creates work to be exhibited in the finest galleries across the UK and continues to advocate for her medium to be represented correctly. A lot of her work showcases folklore and mythology through painterly styled embroidered large-scale pieces. Traditionally trained as a painter she transitioned through textile within a natural process and a lot of her work stands for her process. When looking at craftwork through textile art, her name comes up often as she has extensive research-based writings and work within the field. First coming across when looking at Anni Albers works. (Kettle, 2019) Kettle had reviewed an exhibition on at Tate Modern of Alber’s work in late 2018 early 2019 and had written an exhibition review with The Journal on Modern Craft. Anni Alber’s being one of the most influential artists from Bauhaus. Best known for her ‘Pictorial Weaving’ which is familiar to Tessa Layzelles ‘Practical Paintings’ whereas Alber’s never wanted her work to be used for what it may look to be intended for. The importance of craft is highlighted throughout history with artists that have been trying to get craft on the same pedestal as fine art. Many being from Bauhaus. Anni Alber’s is quoted saying “like any craft it may end in producing useful objects, or it may rise to the level of art” (Selina Oakes, 2018) which her work being exhibited multiple times but especially in Tate Modern, she achieved her goal
Figure 7
Alice Kettle
‘Grey Turning to Yellow’ Thread on Linen
132 X 128cm
Alice Kettle’s work (Figure 7) is currently on exhibit in a collective exhibition curated by Catherine Loewe called ‘Fabric of Life’ (Vortic Art and Paul Smith, 2024) Catherine’s aim was to
gather artists that are using textile as their medium of choice and help to highlight the beauty of the work in a fine art manner. As all the artists involved are artists. Anya Paintsil and Erin M. Riley, artists I’ve mentioned previously are also within the exhibition. The exhibition is fully available online and when Anya Paintsil was interviewed, she mentioned how great it is that technology can help artists to be seen from all around the world, especially from COVID-19 pandemic, when Paintsil graduated. Exhibitions like this help to elevate artists. Technology can be a tool for most artists.
Chapter 3
Craft has always been seen as a way to create items for sale. Bespoke, personalised made by hand pieces that sell for a fair amount according to their quality and the time invested in creating them. Nowadays this method for a business plan has made businesses such as Etsy and Not on the High Street.com skyrocket with popularity and become the place to go when looking for crafted items online. A personalised piece that is so easily accessible for gifts and has changed the way these items may be considered This also changed the industry for creatives as it meant they made money from the work they enjoyed making. Etsy was founded in 2005 to be a platform for craftspeople wanting to sell their work. In many ways Etsy was and is very helpful when it was introduced and made many sellers who worked within the handmade guidelines flourish and made small businesses become bigger and more well known. However, many have manipulated the Etsy rules and have started re-selling items from mass produced companies. Reducing the handcrafted feature that consumers are looking for, tainting the site.
When listening to a podcast called (Etsy: Big Commerce or Crafters’ Community? 2024) by The Journal, the host, Jessica Mendoza had gone into the history of Etsy and it is very interesting and unusual business morals. They strive to only sell the homemade handcrafted items that you can buy only online. They want to be convenient and a go to which they successfully accomplished as they surpassed 10 million dollars in 2020 on sales alone. Which is a good indicator as 2020 was the year of being only online. However, Etsy sellers have been shouting and screaming about the other shops on the platform that are not authentic and taking up space and dragging the look of Etsy down. This is relevant as the views on small crafts such as knitted scarves or wooden carved home décor. Yes, they may be made for function but looking into the views of crafts and art. Are not these people just as much an artist as some contemporary artists that exhibit in galleries? The reason crafts are seen differently within the contemporary world comes from the smaller market style crafts. Etsy has been a good example of the digital age changing the handcrafted. In 2005 when it was first founded the items were all checked multiple times for authenticity whereas now going on the app it is a lot of cheaply
made plastic décor bought from websites such as Temu, Wish and Shein. The CEO of Etsy Josh Silverman, said to Mendoza that the argument from original sellers has always been the way. There has always been this competitive aspect to the site. He stated “I think we’re buying more stuff cheap and is ending up in the landfill even faster. And I think the more the world centres on that, the more it craves authenticity” Personally this is an odd way of describing the business objective. When asked about sustainability and environmental health within all these cheap items being thrown in the landfill to be replaced with the ‘better’ authentically made objects. He diverted the question to his sellers being responsible for what they sell even though when setting up an Etsy account you need to be accepted by the brand. Showcasing that it all becomes about money and growth within a business. The way Etsy is changing showcasing how crafts are being treated throughout time. Why certain crafts are dying out. In saying that there are a few sellers on there trying to keep the crafts alive as contemporary artists are trying to do the same. May be in different formats but the intended result has the same aim.
A huge part of craft is the ever-changing methods that are being taught to achieve the desired outcome. Technology and the digital age is everchanging also. So, it would be naïve to assume that these traditional methods would stay exactly the same. People have changed the ways in which everything is made nowadays but does that mean its value is any less that the ones that were made traditionally.
Change is inevitable through time and traditions are changing. The phrase ‘traditional crafts’ has an interesting way of changing how you think. This craft must have history, the skills must have taken years to perfect. I feel there are acknowledgements that should be made within these crafts. The knowledge of a material is what makes craft a craft. A skilled maker knowing the ins and the outs of the way a material should bend or alter its appearance. Technology hasn’t necessarily destroyed these traditional crafts mentioned previously such as wooden boat building, stitch and embroidery and tapestries. The people have. People have followed other people for centuries. William Morris and John Ruskin changed people views on decorative arts throughout time and persistence. Other artists followed these movements and created work to showcase and support them. Other artists used their creative stance to make what was trending at that time. Film, photography, sound art etc. Theres so many other forms of art that has changed from the traditional paintings and handicrafts. Just because the crafts that were traditional aren’t always shown most in high galleries doesn’t mean they aren’t being created with the same intention. Paintings always have a chance in contemporary galleries and showrooms whereas the sculptures or ‘other’ arts are dependent on the trend and the people. Catherline Loewe created ‘Fabrics of Life’ because she herself enjoys textile art and wants the
world to acknowledge them. It takes people to see the importance of craft within contemporary art. Within any art in general.
Technology and craft can come hand in hand and work seamlessly but some can take it further. Laser cutting and 3D printings can revolutionise the way a woodwork artist can trial different designs and methods without the manual labour and lengthy period it would take to create. Theres’s technology that can manipulate and replicate hand crafted items with almost no flaw.
Artists such as Kate Blacklock and Chris Gustin who create ceramic pieces through 3D printing which were exhibited in a collaboration with 3D Systems called ‘HIfire RESolution: 3D printing in Clay’ which showcased Christ Gustin’s Tea Bowl, which caused a lot of eyebrows to raise as the piece looks almost woven into a basket but made with rough clay, resembling an organically made product used from the earth. In an article Kate Blacklock, being the curator of the exhibition, said “It looks like it’s made of rope, but those patterns are from sound waves Gustin recorded a friend singing into one of his vessels, Then used a CAD (computer-aided design) program to convert the peaks and valleys of her voice into a cuppish shape that was 3D printed before being fired in the kiln” (Chris Martins, 2015) The way there is the technology to make such an item is astonishing. The remarkable technology was then juxtaposed by the very old technology of the traditional kiln. The importance of the traditional methods may still be needed to assist the technology to learn its ways but there’s only so long until technology fully takes over. This resulting in the many crafts that have come to an end due to technology advancing the creative process and helping to gain more opportunities for artists to discover the extent their materiality can go within their chosen medium. A massive example of the boundaries tested within traditional crafts through technology and materiality is an exhibition that took place in 2011 called ‘The New Materiality: Digital Dialogues at the boundaries of traditional craft’ Curated by Fo Wilson, (Milwaukee Art Museum , 2022) the collection of artists that showcase work is astounding Proving the importance of the interweaving of craft within contemporary art. The technology is used to advance the work similar to Kate Blacklock and Chris Guston
Technology has also given artists the opportunity to send their work out all over the world. Viewers and consumers are able to almost do everything they could possibly want online. View exhibitions, buy art, share art they like with others that aren’t close to them, able to read and collaborate with other creatives and enthusiasts all without leaving their houses. Artists are able to use the tool of social media and traditional crafts have blossomed on these
platforms due to people wanting to educate others on their cultural heritage and the crafts that come from them. The exhibition ‘Fabric of Life’ mentioned before is fully accessible online through Vorticart.com. Many try and keep the in-person quality to shows but being easily accessible is a big bonus for a lot of galleries. In these ways traditional crafts can be seen for what they are and learnt by many but contradicting this they can be taken and obscured in ways that may not be accepted traditionally. Cultural appropriation can happen a lot though traditional craft. Certain textile patterns and design can be used against the intended purpose becoming disrespectful. In a blog post about the impact technology has on traditional craft (Culture Tourist Blog, 2019). They described it best:
“Technology is a double- edged sword. On one hand, it offers tools that can enhance the precision, efficiency, and accessibility of crafting techniques. On the other, it poses significant threats to the survival of these crafts as unique, manually intensive processes. The balance between these two outcomes depends largely on how technology is applied and the values that guide its integration into traditional practices.”
Conclusion
When thinking of craft itself its hard to know what to imagine. A workshop covered in tools and materials hanging on every wall. A relaxed creator in the middle of the studio head down focusing on something they are making, using the time and knowledge they have gained throughout time. Are they alone or with others? It is hard to know as crafts has changed again and again. As stated, before as the time changes so do crafts. Contemporary art has been a showcase of these changes, that’s why fine art always gets put in this higher class. It’s new and exciting. Every exhibition is a chance for something else and someone else to shine, whether that’s with craft in mind.
Crafts have been showcased throughout time forever. Historically they were necessary to make what we needed to use for everyday life The skills crafts people have been needed to grow and develop Really crafting new pieces for people to use has only shown the way to advance them. People who have done this have industrialized and revolutionised the craft to its ‘best’ ability. Causing new technology to be built to make the making process easier Whereas there are many who miss the history of the origin of said craft such as the two mentioned throughout, tapestry and textile work and wooden boat building. Many traditional crafts have been part of places history which is why they hold such significance. Dundee being one of them for ship building with the RRS Discovery which its story is told through the Dundee Tapestry. (The Dundee Tapestry, 2024) The importance of these two crafts is on display already and whether it
is in a contemporary art sense or not they are significantly important through art as everywhere is the same. Holding the stories of those before us and many of the artists mentioned use this as motivation for their work most Crafts has been seen through cultures and heritage of the people. When speaking to Frances Stevenson, the creator of The Dundee Tapestry, she was very enthusiastic about craftwork and the meaning of working with your hands as Patrick Wells can also advocate for. Frances made The Dundee Tapestry for a communal project, to inject an aspect of people into artwork which the piece has done so successfully. Making the story that is behind each artist and the use of craft to be the vessel to showcase to the rest of the world.
Crafts have been changed and altered to accommodate the new. And artists who are trying to preserve the fine ways their ancestors or simply inspirational artistic idols had shown before are successfully doing so, interweaving the fine arts with craft with every piece made
References:
Artincontext and artincontext (2022). Difference Between Art and Craft - A Look at Art Versus Craft. [online] artincontext.org. Available at: https://artincontext.org/difference-between-artand-craft/ [Accessed 7 Nov 2024]
Bayeux Museum (2023). Discover the Bayeux Tapestry and the images of the Conquest of England in 1066. [online] Bayeux Museum. Available at: https://www.bayeuxmuseum.com/en/the-bayeux-tapestry/discover-the-bayeuxtapestry/ [Accessed 7 Nov 2024]
BBC News (2014). Glasgow 2014: Team Scotland games kit and parade uniform unveiled. BBC News. [online] 6 Jul. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland28183565.[Accessed 10 Nov 2024]
Cawthorne, M. (2015). The changing context of craft in contemporary art. [online] Academia.edu. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/10430376/The_changing_context_of_craft_in_contemporary_art [Accessed 11 Dec. 2024].
Chris Martins (2015). Robot Pottery’s Golden Age. [online] Slate.com. Available at: https://www.slate.com/features/drivingforces/ceramics/index.html [Accessed 17 Dec. 2024].
Council, C (2021) Crafts, Issue 286, Cover
Create whimsy (2020). Spotlight: Jilli Blackwood, Textile Artist and Designer. [online] Create Whimsy. Available at: https://createwhimsy.com/projects/spotlight-jilli-blackwood-textileartist-and-designer/. [Accessed 16 Dec 2024]
Culture Tourist Blog (2019). The Impact of Technology on Traditional Crafts[online] Culturetouristblog.com. Available at: https://culturetouristblog.com/the-impact-of-technologyon-traditional-crafts/ [Accessed 17 Dec. 2024].
Dodds, J. (2016). About. [online] James Dodds. Available at: https://jamesdodds.co.uk/about/
Edwin Heathcote (2021). AH Mackmurdo, the little-known designer who started Art Nouveau. Financial Times. [online] Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/bb066801-5e89-43d3-8452fdbed82d3009. [Accessed 17 Dec 2024]
Elkin, L. (2024). Textiles as a Form of Feminist Dissent. [online]. Available at: https://www.frieze.com/article/lauren-elkin-thread-of-dissent-241. [Accessed 16 Dec 2024]
Encyclopaedia Britannica and Adam Augustyn. (2019). Arts and Crafts Movement | British and International Movement. In: Encyclopædia Britannica. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/art/Arts-and-Crafts-movement [ Accessed 19 Dec 2024]
Etsy: Big Commerce or Crafters’ Community? (2024). [Podcast] Wall Street Journal. 26 Aug. Available at: https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/the-journal/etsy-big-commerce-or-crafters-
community/9cbf17e8-5bc9-4f45-a5b9431eeff5497c?msockid=1b665e3a8cef6bfe1a174da68d986a69 [Accessed 20 Dec. 2024].
Ferguson, K. (2021). Everything is a Remix Part 1 (2021), by Kirby Ferguson. [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ2GuvUWaP8.[Accessed 16 Dec 2024]
Fig 1. Anya Paintsil (2023). I am a one-man band (I). [Textile] Available at: https://anyapaintsil.com/work/textiles [Accessed 23 Nov. 2024].
Fig 2. James Dodds (2020). St Ives Lugger ‘Celeste.’ [Oil on Linen] Available at: https://jamesdodds.co.uk/portfolio/2019-2020/#jp-carousel-1418 [Accessed 19 Dec. 2024].
Fig 3. Blackwood, J. (2018). ‘Millennium Kilt No.1’ (Textile) Available at: https://jilliblackwood.com/portfolio-item/millennium-kilt-no-1/ [Accessed 7 Nov. 2024].
Fig 4. Blackwood, J. (2021). ‘The Fabric of My Life Serie’ (Textile) Available at: https://jilliblackwood.com/portfolio-item/the-fabric-of-my-life/ [Accessed 6 Dec. 2024].
Fig 5. Erin M. Riley (2016).’ Restraint’ [Textile] Available at: https://www.artsy.net/artwork/erinm-riley-restraint [Accessed 19 Dec. 2024].
Fig 6. Grayson Perry (2012). The Vanity of Small Differences, The Adoration of Cage Fighters [Tapestry ] Available at: https://newlynartgallery.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/PERRYGrayson-ACC40_2012.jpg [Accessed 20 Dec. 2024].
Fig 7. Alice Kettle (2024). Grey Turning to Yellow. [Textile] Available at: https://alicekettle.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-10-at-15.16.32980x1018.png [Accessed 21 Dec. 2024].
Fiore, J. (2019). These Artists Are Changing Our Expectations of What Tapestry Can Be. [online] Artsy. Available at: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-7-artists-weaving-newtapestry-traditions.
Jansen, C. (2021). 6 Rising Contemporary Artists Using Traditional Craft Techniques. [online] Artsy. Available at: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-6-rising-contemporary-artiststraditional-craft-techniques
Japan Woodcraft Association. (2019). Zuishin Nakadai. [online] Available at: https://japanwoodcraftassociation.com/masters/zuishin-nakadai/ [Accessed 25 Oct. 2024]. Jardine Press Ltd (2017). Info. [online] Jardinepress.co.uk. Available at: https://jardinepress.co.uk/info/ [Accessed 20 Nov. 2024].
Jilli Blackwood (2024). Talking about work and Craft within contemporary art (Interview taken place 9 Nov)
Kettle, A. (2019). Anni Albers. The Journal of Modern Craft, 12(1), pp.67–71.(Online) Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/17496772.2019.1568036. [Accessed 19 Nov 2024]
Lakeland Arts (2024). The Wooden Boat Gathering. [online] Lakelandarts.org.uk. Available at: https://lakelandarts.org.uk/events/the-wooden-boat-gathering/ [Accessed 20 Nov. 2024].
Leisha Chi-Santorelli (2023). Heritage Crafts: Some skills risk becoming extinct in UK, charity warns. BBC News. [online] 11 May. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainmentarts-65552787 [Accessed 24 Oct 2024].
Milwaukee Art Museum (2022). Milwaukee Art Museum | The New Materiality: Digital Dialogues at the Boundaries of Contemporary Craft. [online] Mam.org. Available at: https://mam.org/exhibitions/new-materiality/ [Accessed 3 Jan. 2025].
MyOwn2hands.co (2024). About. [online] My Own 2 Hands. Available at: https://myown2hands.co/pages/about [Accessed 31 Dec. 2024].
Newlyn Art Gallery (2020). GRAYSON PERRY: THE VANITY OF SMALL DIFFERENCES. [online] Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange. Available at: https://newlynartgallery.co.uk/activities/grayson-perry/
Quaker Tapestry. (2024). Our story - Quaker Tapestry. [online] Available at: https://www.quakertapestry.co.uk/about/our-story/ [Accessed 25 Oct. 2024].
Salmon, R (1997) CRAFT, London, Kettle Press
School of Stitched Textiles (2024). A Complete History of Embroidery: 1000 Years of Craft Evolution | SST. [online] School of Stitched Textiles. Available at: https://www.sofst.org/acomplete-history-of-embroidery-discover-1000-years-of-craft-evolution/ [Accessed 25 Oct. 2024].
Selina Oakes (2018). Anni Albers. [online] thisistomorrow. Available at: http://thisistomorrow.info/articles/anni-albers [Accessed 16 Dec. 2024].
Sennet, R. (2008). The Craftsman. United States of America by Yale University Press: Penguin Books.
TED, T. (2012). Creativity is a remix | Kirby Ferguson. (YouTube) Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd-dqUuvLk4 [Accessed 10 Nov 2024]
The Dundee Tapestry (2024). The Dundee Tapestry. [online] The Dundee Tapestry. Available at: https://www.thedundeetapestry.com/ [Accessed 6 Nov. 2024].
The Dundee Tapestry (2024a). Jute | The Dundee Tapestry. [online] The Dundee Tapestry. Available at: https://www.thedundeetapestry.com/jute.[ Accessed 20 Dec 2024]
The Dundee Tapestry (2024a). Scientific Research | The Dundee Tapestry. [online] The Dundee Tapestry. Available at: https://www.thedundeetapestry.com/scientific-research [Accessed 20 Dec. 2024].
Victoria and Albert Museum. (2002). V&A · Fashion in Motion: Men in Skirts. [online] Available at: https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/fashion-in-motion-men-in-skirts. [Accessed 20 Dec 2024]
Vortic Art and Paul Smith (2024). Fabric of Life - curated by Catherine Loewe. [online] Vortic.art. Available at: https://programme.vortic.art/exhibitions/fabric-of-life-curated-by-catherineloewe/ [Accessed 16 Dec. 2024].
Wells, P. (2024). I built a boat from scratch and rewired my whole brain. [online] The Telegraph. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/01/03/built-a-boat-rewired-brain-patrickwells-war-correspondent/?msockid=1b665e3a8cef6bfe1a174da68d986a69 [Accessed 7 Nov. 2024].
Bibliography
20071 7_brochure_COVID19_download (japanhousela.com)
Craft Magazine issue 299
Difference Between Art and Craft - A Look at Art Versus Craft (artincontext.org)
Etsy (2005). Etsy Website [online] Available at: https://www.etsy.com/uk?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=etsy_e&utm_camp aign=Search_UK_Brand_BNG_ENG_GeneralBrand_Core_All_Exact&utm_ag=A1&utm_custom1=_k_53e24ce748031124faa22b9c9dd4588c_ k_&utm_content=bing_274699169_1299622886399876_81226496176190_kwd81226486344126:loc-188_c_&utm_custom2=274699169 [Accessed 21 Dec. 2024].
https://anyapaintsil.com/
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/london/red-house/history-of-the-morris-and-co.-women
https://www.textileartist.org/urban-fiber-how-cities-drive-textile-art/
Kettles Yard (1997). CRAFT. Edwardes Square Studios: Valente.
Maria Elena Buszek (2011). Extra/Ordinary: Craft and Contemporary Art. Durham and London: Duke University Press.
Natascha Radclyffe-Thomas, Anjum M, J, B., Currie C, Roncha A and Sinclair R (2024). Disrupting the craft canon: a Living Lab approach to measuring cultural value. Creative Industries Journal, 17(2), pp.209–233. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/17510694.2024.2379725.
Our story - Quaker Tapestry (quaker-tapestry.co.uk)
Peter Dormer (1997). The Culture of Craft. Manchester and New York : Manchester University Press .
Podcast- History Extra- Arts and Crafts movement: everything you wanted to know
Podcast- The Journal- Etsy: Big commerce or crafters community
Seonaid Mairi Robertson (1961). Craft and Contemporary Culture. UK: George G. Harrap & Co. LTD.
The Biggest Threat to Etsy at 15? Becoming Just Another Marketplace - Craft Industry Alliance
The craftsmanship of traditional Hida Furniture and how it is incorporated into Scandinavian design | SHORYUDO , Go Central Japan (go-centraljapan.jp)
The Future of Art: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities in 2024
Traditional Architecture – Japan Woodcraft Association
Etsy (2005). Etsy Website. [online] Available at: https://www.etsy.com/uk?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=etsy_e&utm_camp aign=Search_UK_Brand_BNG_ENG_General-
Brand_Core_All_Exact&utm_ag=A1&utm_custom1=_k_53e24ce748031124faa22b9c9dd4588c_ k_&utm_content=bing_274699169_1299622886399876_81226496176190_kwd81226486344126:loc-188_c_&utm_custom2=274699169 [Accessed 21 Dec. 2024].