Studio craft is the practice of
craft
A craft or trade is a pastime or an occupation that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. In a historical sense, particularly the Middle Ages and earlier, the term is usually applied to people occupied in small scale prod ...
methodology
In its most common sense, methodology is the study of research methods. However, the term can also refer to the methods themselves or to the philosophical discussion of associated background assumptions. A method is a structured procedure for bri ...
in an artist's studio. Traditional craft tends to generate craft objects out of necessity or for ceremonial use while studio craft produces craft objects at the whim of the maker or intended owner. These objects are at most only ''desirable'' for use and often lack any utility. Because studio craft doesn't make objects out of necessity, it is similar to works of studio art which are made for aesthetic rather than functional purposes.
Because of their diminished reliance on making objects for functionality, the studio craft object becomes more viable for the kind of
aesthetic
Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed th ...
critical theory which occurs in
fine art
In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwork ...
theory.
Craft theory
Though studio craft works do seem to have some of the necessary conditions required for injection into critical art discourse, simplifying craft theory as synonymous with art theory strikes some crafts theorists as problematic.
Glenn Adamson
Glenn Adamson (born 1972) is an American curator, author, and historian whose research and work focuses on the intersections of design, craft, and contemporary art. Adamson is currently editor-at-large of The Magazine Antiques, editor of Journal o ...
argues that the interesting thing about Craft is that it ''is'' perceived to be 'inferior' to art. In his book ''Thinking Through Craft'' Adamson presents an overview of this question in five chapters: supplemental, material, skilled, pastoral, and amateur Contrary to the implied second-class status of these themes, Adamson suggests that these are in fact the things that make craft significant and unique. Another craft theorist,
Jenni Sorkin
Jenni Sorkin (born August 29, 1977) is an American art historian, curator, and educator. She is best known for her writing in art criticism, and for highlighting work by feminist artists and artists working in fiber and associated crafts.
B ...
, uses Craft as a distinct portal into topics such as labor, gender, and community.
History
The arts and crafts movement (1880- 1920)
The
arts and crafts movement had significant influence in the formulation of the studio crafts due in large part to the arts and crafts movement's emphasis on both the hand made object and the importance of the individual maker. This has been especially true in North America (see
American craft
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
) and the British Isles. Early furniture makers in this field include
Gustav Stickley
Gustav Stickley (March 9, 1858 – April 15, 1942) was an American furniture manufacturer, design leader, publisher, and a leading voice in the American Arts and Crafts movement. Stickley's design philosophy was a major influence on American ...
,
Charles Rohlfs
Charles Rohlfs (February 15, 1853 – June 30, 1936), was an Americans, American actor, Patternmaker (engineering), patternmaker, stove designer and furniture maker. Rohlfs is a representative of the Arts and Crafts Movement, and is most f ...
,
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...
, and brothers Charles Sumner Green and Henry Mather Green (
Greene and Greene
Greene and Greene was an architectural firm established by brothers Charles Sumner Greene (1868–1957) and Henry Mather Greene (January 23, 1870 – October 2, 1954), influential early 20th Century American architects. Active primarily in Cali ...
).
DIY craft
One of the more recent developments in studio craft seems to be the emergence of a solidified
do-it-yourself
"Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and semi ...
(DIY) movement. Since the mid-century turn towards the conceptualization of the craft object significant academic and institutional structures have emerged to support studio craft. As of 2008 there are hundreds of masters and even doctoral programs dedicated solely to working in crafts media and theory, and as many museums and cultural institutions dedicated to contemporary craft. This trend however has not been without its opponents who claim that studio craft has undercut its origins by overinflating its product, making it entirely inaccessible to anyone who cannot afford the exorbitant prices studio craftspeople demand. These arguments have grown louder and there has been a significant trend towards listening to the voices of "DIYers," that is, makers whose training has not come from a necessarily institutional source and whose audience lies outside the narrow confines of "Studio Craft Institutions." DIY craft can be found in many places among them the internet hub Etsy and in many craft fairs and venues around the country.
The work of "DIYers" is often pejoratively referred to as "Crafty Craft" or "Craft with a K."
See also
*
American craft
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
Citations
{{reflist
External links
British Crafts CouncilThe American Crafts CouncilThe Fuller Craft MuseumThe Journal of Modern CraftThe Museum of Contemporary CraftThe Society of Contemporary Craft
Decorative arts
Handicrafts
Arts and Crafts movement
American art
Crafts