what do you mean, "CRAFT"???

Some highlights from the ACC conference.

Richard Sennet and Craft:
Process, Exploration and Computer Programming...

Sennet is author of the recently published book, "The Craftsman," which examines the role of craftsmanship in our current (American) socio-economic system. To illustrate his idea that good craft is defined through open, qualitative exploration of a given medium and not product-centered development "shortcuts," he compared two American software companies-- Google, and another "unnamed northern California company" (Microsoft, perhaps?). Google, he argued, has been a company that rewards the creative process of its employees, with resulting products of high quality and functionality. The other, of course, has taken strategies that do not allow time for exploration of "interesting" problems and paths because they are too focused on the production of final, marketable, solutions. Their resulting software is, incidentally, full of glitches.

'Craft' in the realm of computer programming was a refreshing way to break the typical connection of craft to traditional handwork and look at it as the broader idea of creative problem-solving: Problem solving that is process-driven, absorbed in the medium at hand, with an open curiosity about inherent possibilities. Only through a commitment to slowing down and dwelling within a medium are the best solutions and techniques found. Experiential knowledge takes time and patience.

This definition of craft resonates with how I felt before the conference--That craft, often defined by "traditional" techniques or methodologies, should actually be defined as a total commitment to a medium, and an absorption in exploring the qualities and potentials that exist within it. Final products or artworks come slowly, or are even an afterthought. The process of opening to a medium outside the self requires receptivity, and is capable of providing "moral rejuvenation," to the individual and community.

In the vein of William Morris, Sennet closed his presentation with a renouncement of Capitalism, and a call to systemic changes in how we, as a culture, approach problems, value work, and use resources. Design that is separate from manufacturing, that is separate from resource extraction, that is separate from product disposal... is a recipe for disaster. The uniting of thinking and making processes, and the connection of where materials come from, how they're used, and where they go is necessary for true craftsmanship-- and sustainability for that matter. Whole systems thinking. I'm just rambling now. We all know this stuff, right? But how do we get to where we need to be?

after dark

This here is just a plug for the Exploratorium's After Dark series which started up again this October. It's the first Thursday of each month from 6-10 and I'm volunteering at it. Come have drinks and play at the coolest museum ever!

ottoman prototype

This summer I completed my final furniture studio at California College of the Arts (CCA)-- the three-week "soft" class. Here are a few photos of the final prototype of my upholstered ottoman. It's only covered with muslin and has a rather awkward velcro closure in the back. Imagine it in a blue-grey wool felt with dark grey detail stitching and a nice zipper closure. (If your screen resolution is better than mine, maybe you can actually see the grey stitching on the muslin!)
It might just be the most conservative thing I made my whole time in the program. But, upholstery is hard enough without making a really crazy shape, which is why I kept my first attempt so straightforward. I met furniture designer Ted Boerner at the critique for this class, and am excited to be starting an internship with him in November.

Creating a New Craft Culture

I just arrived in Minneapolis for the American Craft Council (ACC) conference "Creating a New Craft Culture" taking place this weekend. Looking over the list of speakers I'm especially excited to hear about Natalie Chanin's clothing company Alabama Chanin, Lydia Matthews perspective on craft in relation to current social and economic change (see "new models of marketplace"), and Julie Lasky's ideas about the relationship between artists and craftspeople and industrial 'design' culture (see "men in white"). The complete list of speakers is here.

The ACC has provided me with a scholarship to attend this conference. I am stoked to have the opportunity to spend the weekend meeting, thinking, and discussing with the range of artists, craftspeople, and designers that are attending. It is my hope that this experience will help me clarify my own direction, or perhaps just confuse me more, in a good way.

books

these are some books that i'm either currently reading or are on my radar to check out:

design futuring/ tony fry
systems thinking/ donella meadows

order out of chaos/prigogine
into the cool/schneider and sagan
chaos/gleick

the sense of order/gombrich
comfortable with uncertainty/chodren

the dancing wu li masters/gary zukav

a paradise built in hell/solnit

overshoot/???
the vegetarian myth/keith
guns, germs and steel

the city in history/mumford

hello

i'm starting a blog as a way of getting ideas out...no matter how seemingly disconnected and unrefined they are.
Here is a rough list of the things I am interested in right now:
exhibit design (museum, educational)
landscape architecture- mainly public spaces and urban planning issues
interactive and public art
craft/art/design as a means of social change and activism- through skills sharing, collaboration, grassroots projects
urban farming and gardening
somehow circumventing the traditional economic structure that supports art and design.
builders without borders
travelling without plans.
thermodynamics, geology, meteorology, biology, physics, "chaos" etc. etc.
art and science as a common exploration of nature (of the universe, and ourselves)
and to get even more abstract:
the unified wholeness of EVERYTHING, the persistance of change driven by energy flow
embracing uncertainly and unpredictability as the defining characteristic of life
seeing the movement, possibility, and uniqueness inherent in each moment