Thread: Great words...

I was surfing the Bungendore Woodworks website before and found this note written by the galleries Artistic Director (Mr David MacLaren) and have posted the words below. I like the sentiment and the manner in which they are written.

"Our thoughts on the state of craft
We hear persistent murmurings in the wood industry about vast quantities of Australian native timbers sent to China to make furniture to our designer’s specifications.

Imagine a situation whereby a well crafted work, say a marquetry by Michael Retter, was sent as a sample to be reproduced and imported at one quarter the price. Imagine that the reproduction was virtually indistinguishable from the original.

Even though many or most people might select the cheaper imitation, more people are seeking value and understand that value resides in the making, and the maker, and the story in a context of living.

Craft that is manufactured becomes decor. Proliferation devalues craft. The value of craftwork is the person, the person making, the person who has ‘lived with’ the making, and in so doing, making has an importance and significance beyond work.

Rampant production makes the slow processes of craft precarious in the market place. Galleries that rely on the marginal craft artist are themselves precariously dependent on an insightful appreciation of those who are discontented with the impersonal. I think many people, more than we would expect, do appreciate the values of craft and art..."
David MacLaren

Here is the link to where I grabbed the words above from.



Regards,
Corbs