Introduction

Well I thought I should start with an introduction. One of my best friends goes to AA meetings and the first thing that happens when someone begins to speak goes like this:

Person: "My name is Gabriel Craig and I am a Metalsmith."

All: "Hi, Gabriel."

I am starting conceptualmetalsmithing.com because I think we have a problem. Before I get to the nitty gritty of the problem let me explain what we have here.

Conceptualmetalsmithing.com will be a critical, intelligent, witty, and occasionally humorous look at the world of metalsmithing and studio jewelry through my lens. I plan to to break down news, exhibitions, and even trends in the field. I hope to be posting images and video, and to have feedback capabilities as soon as I figure all that out. I will also be providing web links to sites that relate to the content here.

So, the choice to call this site conceptual metalsmithing is rooted in my dedication to two labels. The first is concept. Since 1980 and the post-modern revolution someone in academia decided that craft objects, known for their extraordinary workmanship (or workwomenship [this site will make every effort to be politically correct]) should also be communicative. What they forgot was that objects must overcome their function and their commodification in order to communicate. In other words jewelry is not a transparent medium.

Since the amatuerization of art in the 1960's with conceptualism and the temporary death of the object, the art market has not been labored by the necessity of making seductive objects. In fact I find it hard to see any rules in the art world. In Crafts and especially in metalsmithing there are clear parameters. I promise I will address these parameters in a future post. What is important here is that because there has never been an emphasis on anything other than the object in metalsmithing, the emphasis is still on objects rather than ideas. No matter what anyone else will till you to the contrary, as an irresponsible and subjective generalization, the object has been, up to the day you read this, more important than the idea in metalsmithing.

Which brings me to metalsmithing. Metalsmithing is a term I use quite liberally. I view metalsmithing as a skill set, a field, or even a mode of work. It can be applied to things and people that may have nothing to do with metal, but have common interests with people who do. My general opinion on metalsmithing is that the farther we can stretch this word, the farther we can stretch ourselves without resistance. So to recap, metalsmithing is a practitioner, a skill set, a field, and a set of ideas, really whatever you can make it mean is good with me.

By putting these two terms together, conceptual and metalsmithing, I wanted to create a forum and a dialogue to bring communicative practices and ideas together with the rich traditions of working metal and the people who create objects in metal.

I hope you all enjoy my commentary and participate as well.


Best,
Gabriel Craig