After some exciting national discussion about the future of craft advocacy over the past few months, I checked my google reader this evening to find a post on extreme craft featuring this video.
There is not a whole lot to say other than:
1. I am jealous
2. US craft organizations take note (especially you Helene Blieberg)
3. They covered all the angles: sex/ desire, sustainability, intrigue, etc.
Quoting directly from Garth Johnson now:
"They do things different in Scotland...at least craftscotland does. Craftscotland is sneaking their message into as many places as possible, including placing Scottish craft onto movie sets, commercials and other unlikely (but highly visible) venues. The organization understands that craft has a brilliant history in Scotland, but it also occupies a significant place in contemporary culture."
About two months ago I had a conversation with Fabio Fernandez, Exhibitions Director at the Society of Arts and Crafts - Boston, where we outlined our dream for craft advocacy. It is was exactly what craftscotland just did.
Bravo!
As always comments welcome,
Happy New year! (two years and counting for Conceptualmetalsmithing.com now!)
-Gabriel
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2 comments:
To rephrase the comment I originally placed here after listening to the spot a few more times...
I think that in order for this kind of branding to be effective, we as crafters would have to live up to the promises made. Craft as Art is well under way, and Design has been pushing itself hard without bearing the burden of that sad debate. But sustainability is a real issue in the marketplace. While I'm under no illusion that we will actually partake in some nationwide coalescence of independent makers in search of solutions to many of the problems we face as global citizens (global warming, mineral and resource depletion, and the unsustainable curve of exploitation, raiding and pollution) - it's precisely this kind of illusion that could carry out real change. Change taking place in communities, dollar for dollar, in spite of the ceaseless spinning political turntables. (click link for related comic relief from this moralistic rant)
What spikes my interest is not that branding is important, it's wondering how makers might back up the green component of craftscotland's spot. The video shows that Craft can recognize concerns about sustainability, but what would it look like if we were much more intentional about developing ‘Cradle-to-Cradle’ product, eco-conscious technical approaches, or (dare I say) alternative programs of education and outreach? Might we see the spread of a more viable and relevant craft-based economic evolution? Protest can draw a certain amount (and kind) of attention to the problems in existing patterns of production and consumption. But integrating alternative practices into the independent-business model is also crucial.
What ways are we pushing the idea of Radical Jewelry Makeover to become commonplace and standard? How long will it be until jewelers can brag to their clients about their RJM "Ethically-Sourced" certification? The recent murders of anti-mining activists in El Salvador show some of the serious and even violent contemporary context of material sourcing issues (especially related to Gold extraction and the sovereignty of post-colonial nations) and ought to provide ample motivation to collaborate.
Any thoughts?
-Ryan Holandes
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