Kevin Murray is an independent writer and curator. For the past eight years, he has been Director of Craft Victoria, where he initiated a number of programs, including the Melbourne Scarf Festival and the South Project, a four year program of cultural exchange across the south that involved international gatherings in Melbourne, Wellington, Santiago and Johannesburg.
With a PhD in the field of narrative psychology, he has an ongoing interest in art as a way of telling stories. His curated exhibitions explore new dialogues such as between crafts and kindred trades (Symmetry), art under false pretences (How Say You), Australia if it had been colonised by someone else (Turn the Soil), Tasmania as a promised land (Haven), art from water (Water Medicine), art of the stars (Seven Sisters) and world craft (Common Goods). His books include Judgment of Paris: Recent French Thought in a Local Context (Allen & Unwin) and Craft Unbound: Make the Common Precious (Thames & Hudson).
He is currently working on the issue of cultural exchange between first and third world cultures, exploring the ethics of collaboration and the artistic translation of skill and rhythm. Exhibitions, publications and blogs can be found at www.kitezh.com.
For an archive of exhibitions and texts, visit www.kitezh.com. This also contains a platform for new ideas in craft, www.craftunbound.net and a journey through the various Souths of the world, www.ideaofsouth.net.
Kuala Lumpur’s Craft Complex promises to be a ‘one-stop craft centre’. It’s quite an extensive series of buildings, including museum, shops, design workshop, café and artist colony. The museum features an exhibition of quite sumptuous gold embroidery. The shop promotes elaborate filigree work as desirable corporate gifts. The textile outlet has a functioning loom, but it is only demonstrated for official functions. And the artist colony consists of mostly painters, though there is a ceramicist and batik workshop.
The overall impression from these buildings is of ‘rich craft’ – craft that celebrates nobility and distinction. The traditional dagger, or keri, features prominently as a traditional symbol of status.
The banners outside the building proclaim ‘kraft ke persada dunia’, which loosely translates as ‘taking craft to the world’. This seems to fit well with KL’s ambition to be a centre for world trade.
There are glimpses of quite striking textile designs, particularly from Sarawak. But the tourist is likely to need to travel to these places themselves in order to get a real taste of Malaysian craft. In the end, craft needs craftspersons.
Hlengiwe Dube is not only one of South Africa’s most accomplished bead artists, she is also responsible for much of the vibrant craft that emerges from KwaZulu-Natal, thanks to her work with the African Craft Centre. Finally, she has been able to distil her considerable knowledge of beadwork with this new publication. Zulu Beadwork: Talk with Beads promises not only to contain images of great work, but also decode the complex language of beads themselves. Here’s a blurb from the publisher:
Most of the studies of African art available in this country have been written by outsiders. And, while these accounts can be informative, there is a level of understanding that only an insider can provide. For this reason, Africa Direct is proud to present Zulu Beadwork: Talk with Beads. Its author, Hlengiwe Dube, is a Zulu woman raised in a traditional family. She has been director of the African Art Centre in Durban, South Africa, for many years. Her relationship with Zulu beadwork is direct and personal, much of it drawn from her own experience or stories passed down by her mother and grandmother. In Zulu Beadwork: Talk with Beads, she makes her expertise available to readers everywhere. In an engaging, conversational style, she talks about the “unspoken words” of traditional beadwork designs. Each color of bead, and each combination of colors, creates a different message. From the white beads that assure a lover, “Whenever I see you my heart goes white as the milk of cattle when they are milked in the morning,” to the green beads that proclaim, “I am going to wait for my husband as he works in Johannesburg,” Hlengiwe Dube leads us through the fascinating complexities of beadwork messages. Illustrated throughout with beautiful color photographs and including chapters on historical and regional trends, Zulu Beadwork: Talk with Beads is a must-read for anyone interested in learning about African art from the people who create it.
From The Earth – Contemporary Indigenous Ceramics from Alice Springs Pottery, Ernabella, Hermannsburg Potters, and Tiwi Islands Gallery One, JamFactory Adelaide 13 December 2008 – 25 January 2009
Reviewed by Christine Nicholls for World Sculpture News, Hong Kong
Judith Pungkarta Inkamala, Hermannsburg Potters, 2008, Rock Wallaby, hand built terracotta, underglaze decoration, 405 x 265 mm
Judith Pungkarta Inkamala, Hermannsburg Potters, 2008, Rock Wallaby, hand built terracotta, underglaze decoration, 405 x 265 mm
From the Earth is a survey exhibition of contemporary Indigenous Australian ceramics from the Tiwi Islands (situated off the north coast of Australia) and also from Hermannsburg, Ernabella Arts, and Alice Springs Pottery in Central Australia. It features works by established and emerging artists, some of whom have now specialized in ceramics for a considerable length of time.
To the best of my knowledge this is a genuinely groundbreaking exhibition: the first occasion on which Indigenous Australian pottery from Australia’s northern seabord as well as from diverse locations in the Central Desert region have been displayed in a group exhibition. From the Earth, showing in the principal gallery of Adelaide’s highly regarded JamFactory, gives audiences an opportunity to consider and perhaps appraise distinctive regional and personal differences in style, technique and practice. At the same time the exhibition shines the spotlight on certain commonalities evident in these diverse approaches to pottery making.
John Patrick Kelantumama, Tiwi Design, 2001, Purrukapali, earthenware, underglaze decoration, metal, 705 x 270 x 105 mm.
John Patrick Kelantumama, Tiwi Design, 2001, Purrukapali, earthenware, underglaze decoration, metal, 705 x 270 x 105 mm.
The accomplished John Patrick Kelantumama, a senior Tiwi man who is affiliated with Tiwi Design based at Nguiu on Bathurst Island, has worked as a professional potter for more than three decades now. Beginning his long and successful career as an apprentice with Tiwi pottery in 1976, today Kelantumama is recognized nationally as a master potter. Kelantumama’s Purrukupali, fashioned from earthenware and metal with underglaze decoration, depicting the legendary Purrukapali with his infant son Jinani, is an immediate, vivid and touching work. This compelling work relates to the major Tiwi narrative of how death came to be visited upon Tiwi Islanders.
That story goes that after some years of marriage to the old man Purrukapali, Bima, his much younger wife, entered into a ‘hot’ sexual liaison with Japara, her husband’s younger brother. One fateful day the adulterous couple, who habitually left baby Jinani under the shade of an ironwood tree while they went about their sexual romp, forgot about the baby. Returning late on the same afternoon Bima found that her baby son had died underneath the tree – the sun had swung around exposing the child to its strong rays, killing him. This unleashed an entire sequence of violent and desperately sad events that are still, to this day, played out in the ceremonial lives, particularly in the funerary rites, of the Tiwi.
Mark Virgil Puautjimi, Tiwi Design, 2006, Japara - the moon man, earthenware, underglaze decoration, 430 x 170 x 75 mm
Mark Virgil Puautjimi, Tiwi Design, 2006, Japara - the moon man, earthenware, underglaze decoration, 430 x 170 x 75 mm
There are more splendid ceramic works relating to the same extended Tiwi narrative on display in From the Earth. Included among these are Mark Virgil Puautjimi’s Japara (Moon Man), depicting Purrukapali’s younger brother Japara who was transformed into the moon as a result of his transgressions. Lunar craters are understood to be the scars left on Japara’s face – resulting from the fight unto death that took place between the two brothers in the wake of the cuckolded Purrukapali’s devastating discovery of his wife’s adulterous liaison and the consequent death of his infant son Jinani. Cyril James Kerinauia’s marvellous Moonman and his Bima and Jinani also relate to this narrative. The major players in this ancient Tiwi drama of crime and punishment have been rendered with wonderfully wild, spiky ceramic hair. This bestows upon them a somewhat neo-Gothic air – notwithstanding the fact that these ceramic sculptures are rendered in such bright colours. Given the base treachery, violence and originary ills underlying this Tiwi narrative, the protagonists’ ‘feral’ head-dresses seem quite fitting.
Mark Virgil Puautjimi, Tiwi Design, 2005, Buffalo, earthenware, underglaze decoration, 270 x 220 x 70 mm
Mark Virgil Puautjimi, Tiwi Design, 2005, Buffalo, earthenware, underglaze decoration, 270 x 220 x 70 mm
There are also a number of fetching Tiwi works depicting everyday life and entirely secular themes, for example, Mark Virgil Puautjimi’s Buffalo, an earthenware work with underglaze decoration. Feral hoofed animals, including camels, donkeys, horses and pigs, none of which are native to Australia, are literally on the loose in many remote Australian outback regions. Rampaging buffalos are both feared and desired (as a magnificent food source) on the Tiwi Islands. Traditional Tiwi geometric designs have been applied to these ceramic sculptures, which are characterized by their extraordinarily left-of-field colour use. Puautjimi’s Buffalo is no exception: vibrant yellows, warm oranges, blue and olive greens have all been used to masterful effect. So what if this ceramic buffalo looks a little like a multi-hued, short-horned wombat? This contributes to the creature’s charm.
Robert Edward Puruntatameri, Munupi Arts and Crafts, 2008, (right) Vessel with Lid, earthenware, underglaze decoration, and sgraffito decoration, 240 x 165 mm; (left) Vase, earthenware, underglaze decoration, and sgraffito decoration, 150 x 105 mm
Robert Edward Puruntatameri, Munupi Arts and Crafts, 2008, (right) Vessel with Lid, earthenware, underglaze decoration, and sgraffito decoration, 240 x 165 mm; (left) Vase, earthenware, underglaze decoration, and sgraffito decoration, 150 x 105 mm
Fellow Tiwi Islander and countryman Robert Edward Puruntatameri, representing Munupi Arts and Crafts, based at Pulurampi on Melville Island, also makes a strong contribution to From the Earth with his vases and appealing round vessels. These he has adorned with tradition-inspired Tiwi geometric designs, fish and other sea creatures including squid. Puruntatameri’s father, the illustrious late Eddie Puruntatameri, is credited as the major founder of Tiwi Pottery along with his apprentice John Bosco Tipiloura. Puruntatameri-the-younger is clearly working hard to keep the family tradition alive. The status of Tiwi men as master carvers becomes overwhelmingly apparent in the aptitude they have shown in the transition to pottery, which is not a vernacular Australian tradition. The carved, wooden three-dimensional sculptures of traditional Tiwi visual arts practice seem to have allowed for a seamless segue into that other three dimensional medium, ceramics. That this has happened in the comparatively short space of time since 1972 when pottery was first introduced to the Tiwi Islands is a formidable accomplishment.
Rona Pananangka Rubuntja, Hermannsburg Potters, 2008, Rock Pigeons, terracotta, underglaze decoration, 410 x 310 mm
Rona Pananangka Rubuntja, Hermannsburg Potters, 2008, Rock Pigeons, terracotta, underglaze decoration, 410 x 310 mm
Travelling south and inland, Judith Inkamala, Hedwig Mocketarinja, Carol Panangka Rontji, Rona Panangka Rubuntja and Rahel Ungwanaka, all from the Arrernte community of Hermannsburg in Central Australia also make notable contributions. The Arrernte potters’ cap-lidded pots, decorated with everyday desert scenes, are rendered in vivid colours, bringing to mind their celebrated precursor, the Hermannsburg school of landscape art, of which Albert Namatjira was not only the progenitor but also the most famous exponent. These women’s ability to create ‘living pictures’ of their desert homeland on these three dimensional pots is exemplary. Without any doubt the pièces de résistance of these works are their sculptural lids, which always relate to something – often fauna – culturally significant to the maker. Hedwig Mocketarinja’s alert, crouching marsupial really caps off her work; as does Carol Panangka Rontji’s rather phallic, predominantly deep green Port Lincoln parrot. In a similar vein, Judith Inkamala brings a wonderfully eye-popping quality to the ‘bush creatures’ she creates and perches atop her bowls: her exquisitely-fashioned rock wallaby and captivatingly importunate perentie (a large burrowing Australian lizard) are cases in point. The Arrernte potters of Hermannsburg began working in the early 1960s and have since transformed ceramics into an art form distinctively their own: their unique, collective artistic ‘signature’ is evident on all of their work. Their skilful hands render these superficially conventional desert landscapes animate and alive.
Anilyuru (Carol) Williams, Ernabella Arts, 2008, Ngayuku Walka, terracotta, underglaze and sgraffito decoration, 75 x 170 mm each
Anilyuru (Carol) Williams, Ernabella Arts, 2008, Ngayuku Walka, terracotta, underglaze and sgraffito decoration, 75 x 170 mm each
Ernabella Arts, situated in the Pitjantjatjara/Yankunjatjara community of Ernabella (Pukatja) in South Australia’s arid north, is also represented in From the Earth, with contributions from sisters Tjimpuna and Carol Williams and several others. Ernabella artists only began experimenting with ceramics a little more than a decade ago but they have already made a considerable impact on the market with their carved and incised sgraffito forms. The sgraffito method, involving decorating pottery or ceramics by scratching through a surface of plaster or glazing to reveal different colours underneath, is the preferred method of many of these artists, no doubt because it taps into other long-run Pitjantjatjara/Yankunjatjara artistic practices, particularly those that relate to wood-carving.
Jillian Davey, 2008, Inma Walka, terracotta, underglaze decoration, 470 x 330 mm
Jillian Davey, 2008, Inma Walka, terracotta, underglaze decoration, 470 x 330 mm
High profile Pitjantjatjara/Yankunjatjara potters Nyukana (Daisy) Baker & Jillian Davey, who also originally hail from Pukatja but are now resident in Alice Springs, also make an impact with their large terracotta, underglaze decorated pots. Both work now at Alice Springs Pottery, the ‘newest kid on the block’ in Indigenous Australian pottery ventures. This enterprise was set up largely to accommodate ceramic artists like Nyukana Baker and Jillian Davey who need to live in Alice Springs whilst they undergo kidney dialysis. While Davey tends towards making beautifully restrained, monochrome works, Baker offers a nicely contrapuntal splash of colour to the display with her large and often flamboyant vessels.
The vigorous, confident works on display in this exhibition indicatethat Indigenous Australian ceramics is prospering, despite being a relatively nascent art form. From the Earth demonstrates that what could be described as the recent Australian ‘Aboriginal invention of pottery’ looks forward to a bold, bright future.
Postscript
Christine Nicholls adds an interpretive comment to her review:
Interestingly there is a mission connection in the case of all three enterprises: the Tiwi Islands, Hermannsburg and Ernabella all have mission histories – respectively Catholic, Lutheran and Presbyterian (which is of course one part of today’s Uniting Church). It’s become fashionable these days to give the missions and missionaries a really good bagging or solid drubbing but on balance, in my view, and I’ve never been a missionary myself (far from it) the positives of their contribution can often be seen, for the most part, to outweigh the negatives. For example, notwithstanding their Christianizing and conversion agendas, the mishos DID often encourage people to develop cottage industries such as these pottery co-ops which have proved sustainable in the Tiwi and Hermannsburg cases, over a considerable length of time. This could not have happened if they had simply been imposed upon the people – the Indigenous people involved actually get real pleasure, a feeling of well-being and self-esteem from making and exhibiting their work
Irene Mbitjana Entata, Hermannsburg Potters, 2006, Jesus Footprint, hand built terracotta, underglaze decoration, 330 x 270
Irene Mbitjana Entata, Hermannsburg Potters, 2006, Jesus Footprint, hand built terracotta, underglaze decoration, 330 x 270
With respect to the Christian influence on some of these ceramists’ work, I believe that these influences goes beyond any clear or overt reference to Christianity or Christian iconography such as the Christian cross that Irene Mbitjana Entata has placed on the lid of her obviously Christian-themed work. Judith Pungkarta Inkamala’s red tailed black cockatoo, for instance, has a distinctly angelic quality – a black angel? The same comments also apply to many of the works by the Tiwi artists – the male figures of the much maligned and suffering Purrukapali, cheated on by his wife and brother, seems to be represented in a Christlike manner or with a Christlike dimension in some of the works.
Another factor each of these ceramics enterprises holds in common is the fact that all four, including Alice Springs Pottery, the latest player in this field, the newest kid on the block, have involved and continue to involve productive and fruitful collaborations and partnerships between Indigenous artists and non-Indigenous potters and/or art centre co-ordinators. While 40 or 50 years ago these tended to be asymmetrical relationships, in other words, yes, there was a paternalistic element to them, today, the partnerships mostly take place on a relatively level playing field, founded on mutual respect and recognition. Whilst at one level these enterprises involve an exchange of skills, they also represent a great deal more than that. These endeavours also have value because they work as a ‘two-way’ professional, socio-cultural exchanges where the parties are able to learn about and share each other’s perspectives by working closely together, or ‘sharing the space’ as it were. Over time these enterprises are leading to the Indigenous creative artists independently running them – as is now largely the case with the Tiwi potters today. The figures associated with the Purrukapali/Bima/Japara/ Jinani narrative seems to have acquired the status of Supreme Beings which represents something of a move away from earlier Indigenous cosmologies – at the very least this is indicative of a cultural shift, sociocultural hybridity and so forth – unsurprising in the circumstances I guess. So the Christian references I believe are quite often not apparent in any ‘in your face ‘ way in many of these works, but nonetheless are there…
Tais Marobos Raroti Ceremonial Tubular Skirt (2005)
Ruth Hadlow gave a very interesting talk about West Timorese textiles at the Victorian Tapestry Workshop last Wednesday night. The images of textiles that she presented were absolutely stunning, with extraordinary melodies of colour, intricate handiwork and animated designs.
Ruth talked about how integral textiles were to life in West Timor. She mentioned that it was practice in the Indonesian civil service every Thursday to wear clothes that were handmade locally.
One significant demand on textiles was funerals, where they are buried with deceased of importance. At first, it seems a tragic waste to bury thousands of textiles at the recent funeral of an aristocrat. But Ruth observed that this was actually quite a boon for weavers, who then had a lack to fill. That’s quite a different reading to the convention of conservation. To destroy is to sustain.
Despite the integral nature of textiles, Ruth said that there were real problems of sustainability. The average age of weavers was increasing as younger women were drawn more to the cities. The attraction of the city is understandable, with opportunities for better health and education. Ruth felt that the solution was to professionalise weaving so that is seen as a legitimate career. But this was difficult with the lack of sales for expensive items.
Here perhaps is a role for Australia. Even though West Timor does not share the East Timor story of liberation at Australian hands, maybe there’s room for partnership in the future.
For many years, I’d been intrigued by the factory located on my route to Brunswick Station. The claim to be ‘Actual Makers of Craftsman Tailored Shirts in the European Tradition’ seemed almost medieval in a contemporary retail culture of brands.
So I was quite sad to discover that it was closing down. Why? Today I went it to find out the reason this venerable business was coming to an end. Inside I was met by the ebullient owner, Bill Perucci. Bill was more than happy to take me through the epic story of Perucci Shirts to its current demise.
It appears that he acquired the shirt business from his Jewish father-in-law, an Epstein who escaped from Radom in Poland just before the Second World War. Epstein had been running a fruit business and was looking for something different. A friend approached him to be partner in his shirt business, offering to teach him all that he needed to know. After the partner’s marriage breakup, the wife’s new husband became the business partner. Neither he nor Epstein knew anything about shirts. It was left up to one of the workers to teach them the business.
Bill Perucci
Bill Perucci with the first shirt made in the factory and the photo of his parents in law
Eventually they relocated the business from Lygon Street Carlton to its present Brunswick premises. Epstein eventually passed the business down to his educated son-in-law. They invented a new brand, Perucci – a mixture of letters of Epstein and his original name Russeck. Bill then changed his name to his brand as that would be easy for business.
And the business flourished, with the assistance of skilled labour coming from Italy, Greece and Vietnam.
So why are they closing? Is this part of the economic downturn? Do people no longer care for ‘craftsman’ made shirts?
Far from it. According to Bill, demand has never been stronger. The problem is that all their skilled staff have all eventually retired, leaving them without anyone who can make shirts. ‘We’ve been sacked by our workers!’ Bill exclaims.
Now that unemployment is rising, and globalisation is fraying at the edges, the closure of Perucci sends an important message. Perhaps it’s not only outside pressures that are affecting economies like Australia’s. There may well be inside forces eating away at our capacity as well.
Typical Castlemaine scene of detritus from the mechanical age
While much of regional Victoria is recovering from the devastation of recent bushfires, something positive beckons in the horizon. The central Victoria town of Castlemaine is home to a long tradition of making. Artisanship continues from its early days as a gold town to the present population of artists and makers who keep the foundries and workshops busy.
Here’s the media release for an upcoming Castlemaine Festival (27 March – 5 April) that draws from this heritage:
This year introduces the inaugural 2009 Castlemaine Visual Arts Biennial with the theme of The Art of Making: invention and artisanship. Invention is about resourcefulness and pursuing original ideas to create unique solutions. Artisanship is about the process of making, often by hand, objects that resonate with the finely honed skill of the artist. Artists will talk about these and other key ideas, including methodology and technique, public and private space, urban and regional perspectives, and sustainability. The 45 artists participating in the Biennial were selected by The Biennial curatorial team: Dr Chris McAuliffe, Kevin Murray, Julie Millowick and Visual Arts Coordinator Zoe Amor, and are all Victorian.
Castlemaine’s iconic Market Building will show 3-dimensional works, 2-dimensional works will be shown at the Continuing Education building, and public art installations will be located throughout Castlemaine. The 3-D artworks in the Castlemaine Market Building include work by artists including Kerry Cannon, Noah Grosz, Kate Meade, Kathryn McAllister, Jane Sanderson, Dean Smith, Trefor Prest, Gretchen Hillhouse, Ricky Swallow, Marcos Davidson, Nicholas Jones, Conrad Dudley-Bateman, Kate Spencer, Brydee Rood, Lynette Wallworth, Helen Bodycomb & Vipoo Srivilasa. An installation of contemporary lapidary jewellers will be curated by Lillyan Shirrington.
The Castlemaine & District Continuing Education building will be the venue for 2-D artworks by artists including Tim Jones, Raafat Ishak, Wendy Stavrianos, Donna Bailey, Steph Tout, James Kenyon, Martine Whitcroft, Jennifer Bartholomew, Tamara Marwood, Helen Seligman, James McArdle, Kynan Sutherland, Juliana Hilton & a collaborative piece coordinated by Ashley Mariani.
Public art installations will be located at various sites throughout Castlemaine, including Victory Park, Castlemaine Railway Station and at road entry points to the town. Six local public artists — Lynne Edey, Craig MacDonald, Greg Smith, Roger McKindley, Candy Stevens & James Kenyon – will express a unique vision for the central Victorian landscape; drawing attention to the cultural, environmental and historical qualities of this region.
Other venues include the Old Plumber’s Shop, where Alice Steel will launch her comic SPACEANGEL, & the Old Castlemaine Gaol, where Robyn Spicer, local illustrator, designer & writer, will show Weird Critters.
On each day of the 2009 Castlemaine State Festival there will be free talks by artists, to facilitate the engagement of the public with the artists and their ideas. Artists include Donna Bailey, Steph Tout, Helen Bodycomb, Marcos Davidson, Kerry Cannon, Greg Smith, Roger McKindley, Candy Stevens, Gretchen Hillhouse, Tamara Marwood, Helen Seligman, Kynan Sutherland and Robyn Spicer.
Here’s good reason to return to central Victoria for the healing autumn breezes and mysteries of making in the venerable country town of Castlemaine.
‘The rich swell up with pride, the poor from hunger.’
Sholom Aleichem
image
As we saw a ‘linguistic turn’ transform humanities in the late 20th century, on our side of the millennium it seems that we are witnessing a wave of cultural accountability – an ‘ethical turn’.
Culture is no longer ‘innocent’ of politics. An artist cannot draw inspiration from the third world without accounting for his or her economic privileges. Similarly in disciplines such as anthropology and archaeology it is an expectation that the researcher works in partnership with the community – the knowledge which they glean must be paid for, usually in services.
This ethical turn may seem rather negative. Guilt can lead towards greater distance between cultures, as those from rich countries are hesitant to be seen as cultural predators. But there are positive developments too.
The existence of a just partnership between rich and poor is a valuable ideal, and increasingly we seem willing to pay for it. Fair Trade sales in commodities such as chocolate and coffee have risen greatly, up to 50% a year. Given the modest nature of these purchases, it is unlikely that they will be affected by the economic downturn.
Previously, it was the ‘customer is always right’. But now the interests of the producer have become relevant. There is a multitude of products that advertise their benefits to the community of origin, including bottled water, textiles, furniture, cosmetics and medicines.
As this trend continues the build, it naturally becomes commodified. We cringe to learn that McDonalds is now a member of the Rainbow Alliance. What guarantee do we have that such associations are more than marketing gimmicks, there to enhance the primary brand? As Nestlé, Coca-Cola and other global brands jump on the ethical bandwagon, we are tempted to become cynical about the whole ethical turn. How can we tell the difference between substance and advertising?
At this point, it seems important that those designing these products find a way of sustaining the trust of the consumer. The challenge is to provide the consumer with convincing information about the arrangement with the producing community. It’s hard to convey this information just as dry facts, there needs to be a compelling narrative about the challenges faced by the community and their current aspirations.
This is partly a design challenge. How do you develop products that ‘feel good’? How might the consumer feel that his or her purchase not only promises themselves goodness, but in a small way makes the world a better place? This product might be the exception. This product may not be not drawing on an unsustainable resource, subjecting displaced peoples to sweatshop conditions, exporting industrial pollution from first to third worlds, etc.
So we need to find a way of designing ethical value that will last. It’s not good enough to make ethics fashionable. Today’s trend is tomorrow’s dumpster. And it’s not enough to be dewy-eyed. Today’s romantic myth is tomorrows hardened realism.
The project of a Code of Practice for Craft-Design Collaborations is designed to strengthen this ethical turn in product development. The initial phase is to open this question up for discussion in a way where no view is excluded, from the most idealistic to the most cynical. It is this openness that will serve to help develop an enduring understanding of the nature of an object’s ethical value.
This year, there are already two workshops planned to start this discussion. The first will be at Selling Yarns next month. The second will be in Santiago, Chile, in September.
Bell-Roberts Gallery in Cape Town is hosting an exhibition by remarkable South African artist Noria Mabasa. More than 70 years old, Mabasa is one of several ceramicists from the northern province of Venda, bordering on Zimbabwe. For the past thirty years, she has been producing figures and pots with clay sourced from a local river.
Unlike other female artists, Mabasa also carves sculptures out of wood. She produces monumental installations drawing on traditional themes and the status of women. Like many Venda artists, she takes inspiration from personal visions and dreams.
While highly regarded within South Africa, art from Venda has little international profile. It would be wonderful if we could rustle up a touring show of Venda artists. If not, perhaps a residency would do. They are up for it.
There’s a raging debate in the US media about the call to bring design into account for its recent elitism. Echoing the recriminations over reckless financial dealers on Wall Street, Michael Cannell argued in the New York Times that the indulgent excesses of celebrity design will be a natural victim to the economic downturn. He says this is something to celebrate:
The pain of layoffs notwithstanding, the design world could stand to come down a notch or two — and might actually find a new sense of relevance in the process. That was the case during the Great Depression, when an early wave of modernism flourished in the United States, partly because it efficiently addressed the middle-class need for a pared-down life without servants and other Victorian trappings.
Naturally, there were many designers who took umbrage at these remarks. Murray Moss lead the defence in Design Observer to argue that one-off works like Campana Brothers $9,000 Corallo Chair represent great creative achievements that all should aspire to.
We are the fortunate benefactors, not the dupes, of design’s evolution since our recovery from the last Great Depression. We should defend that progression with resolve. We should push forward, in whatever ways are still possible, even more strongly. We should lock arms and support one another. And we should not hesitate to challenge those, like Mr. Cannell, who would somehow, mistakenly and punitively, equate the current global economic meltdown with design’s recent surge. We should, and will, refuse to go back into the box.
What seems missing from this debate is a sense of the creative possibilities of egalitarian design. This involves changing the social dynamic of design from individual distinction to collective identity. That’s kind of transformation has certainly been successful with online networking. We can only imagine what kind of promiscuous design it might foster.
One of the most dramatic outcomes of climate changes is the submersion of islands like Tuvalu. So how does an entire community deal with the eventual lost of its land? It’s like that material culture will play an important part in sustaining links after the diaspora. The concern for this in nearby countries like Australia will continue to grow. How can this engage with the craft scene in Australia? Here’s an opportunity.
Noosa’s signature Green Art sculpture event, Floating Land, returns in 2009 with a program that has grown to include writers, visual and new media artists, performance artists, musicians, photographers, researchers and scientists.
From 19 to 28 June artists will build outdoor sculptures on beautiful Lake Cootharaba, 15 minutes north of Noosa. Transient natural materials will be used to explore the theme of climate change and the impact of rising sea levels on coastal and island communities of the Pacific Ocean. Artists from Pacific Ocean countries being affected are integral to the 10-day program.
Visitors are encouraged to stop and watch the sculptors, participate in the workshops, attend the forums and performances, follow the daily photography exhibits, and participate in the spectacle that has become known as ‘Firings on the Lake’ at sunset on stunning Lake Cootharaba.
The program is supported by two exhibitions to be held at the Noosa Regional Gallery. Waters of Tuvalu: A Nation at Riskwill presentworks from the Museum of Victoria and artefacts from the community of Tuvalu. Legacy Tuvalu: The Footprint on Funafuti, by photo-journalist Jocelyn Carlin, shows theimpact first-hand that climate change is having on the Pacific Islands.
Here’s good reason to return to central Victoria for the healing autumn breezes and mysteries of making in the venerable country town of Castlemaine.
