What is Craft? (Critical Reflection)

From what I have learned in Real World Media so far and making my documentary, I see the involvement of the human touch and personal control as a key element to craft. This is not limited to the purely handmade but can also include areas where things are made with the help of electronic tools and the creator is using it. I saw this especially at the ceramics studio as people were using the electric pottery wheel and adjusting the speed and when it spun. With the human touch however, I see that “there is always an element of risk in craftsmanship” (Howard 2004,p.165) which can appear as not knowing the outcome of the final product and also slight imperfections in the creative process, such as crack or mis-measurement. This links to the concept of wabi-sabi in what may appear odd or slightly off is natural but also an improvised result of the human touch on a craft. These imperfections found can “accumulate layers of story by the history of its owner’s use, repair, alteration of size or style” (Yuriko S and Peter C 2022, p.209) Users can then become actively engaged in how they see the craft and can be encouraged to carefully inspect how something is made.

Having a specialised knowledge of materials and tools used to create is how I see craft. A good foundation of this technical knowledge actively engages makers with the material and tools in knowing their properties and how they best work in their creative process. Susan and Nicola (2018) states that this specific understanding allows makers to not only respond to materials but also manipulate their creative process and judge for themselves how to counteract errors which may happen and work upon those opportunities while creating.  This thoughtful interaction in the process of making allows people to build upon the foundations and develop on what has been done before, prompting them to create an extra depth and stylised take from what they envision.

With this technical knowledge, craft then becomes an outlet of self-expression. Even though I watched everyone at the ceramics studio make objects similar to each other with the same methods, each piece of work was all different and made in a style that suited the preference of the maker whether it be the size and height of the object or the patterning done on the side. This allowed them to build an extra depth and expand from a concept based on their own judgements they make throughout the process.

Together with having this technical knowledge and self-expression, it reconnects the mind and body which is a unique and important experience I see craft bringing to people. This interaction between the two then results in a “transformation of our direct sensuous experience of nature into a world of culture” (Howard 2004,p.168). Through the personal involvement of practical methods and the process of making, it can trigger various senses and ways of thinking people may have not thought of before.  Craft then becomes a creative act which is an overall experience that contributes to a culture of making original pieces of work as a result of specific knowledge of materials and self-expression.

Reference List

Yuriko S and Peter C (2022) “The Role of Imperfection in Consumer Aesthetics”  Imperfectionist Aesthetics in Art and Everyday Life, Taylor & Francis Group, Milton, p.203-217, DOI: 10.4324/9781003251361-20

Susan L and Nicola T (2018) “Part 2 Craft, the ‘­handmade’ and contested ­commodification” Craft Economies , Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, p.59-104, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/rmit/detail.action?docID=5226721

Howard R (2004) “DESIGN, WORKMANSHIP, AND CRAFTSMANSHIP” Theory of Craft: Function and Aesthetic Expression,Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, p.162-170, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/rmit/detail.action?docID=880380