Chapter 12—Craft and Design

Introduction: Many objects created in the past and present were created as part of the great craft tradition. Have you ever admired or owned a beautiful antique tool or weapon? Today, many people lament the loss of the handmade crafts tradition, yet objects abound that are still the product of careful design and marketing creation, such as ergonomic keyboards for computing or of cellular phones. This chapter explores and analyzes certain aspects of the traditional crafts, such as glazing techniques or different types of clays used in ceramics; examines the role of design in crafts; and explores factors that must be considered when looking at logos, posters, industrial designs, and web designs as graphic art. Without even considering it, we are affected on a daily basis by aspects of design, such as urban planning, that determine our behavior. In A Closer Look – The Chandeliers of Dale Chihuly, we are provided close-up insights for the creative processes of an artistic team producing "mind-boggling" works of art in the glass craft tradition. A Closer Look – The Fiber Arts of Faith Ringgold provides a glimpse into the world of an artist who stands as a strong role model for feminists, humanists, and African-American artists today.

Chapter 11 – Why Read It? Knowing how to use a material to make an object, whether it is utilitarian or not, requires a sense of that material’s capabilities and its limits. People who make art forms are selective, choosing materials that suit the needs of the object they are creating. It might be unreasonable to try to create a handle for a tool out of clay, because it would break. Likewise, using wood to make a cooking pot would not work. However, clay can be used for cooking, especially if it has been fired and vitrified, essentially turning it into a form of stone. Wood might serve handsomely as a handle for a tool, because of its tensile strengths, beauty, and durability.

As you will see in the next chapters, for the ancients and for the Greeks and Romans, many objects might originally have been made for a functional purpose—the carved alabaster made into canopic jars for burial of Egyptian royalty, or the gold repoussé masks entombed with kings of the Myceneaens.

There is no distinct line between crafts, art, and design—they all interact with each other in any cultural time line. Most cultures developed refined methods for using clay, metals, glass, wood, and fibers, along with stone, oil paints, brick and mortar, and typography. Along the way, it is well worth investigating how particular effects were achieved, and what materials were combined in order to create the amazing works we admire today. When we enter a cathedral in France, we can see it as an entire work, a complete fulfillment of “manifestatio” and “concordiantia”—as Erwin Panofsky described the builders’ aspirations to create a work that represents the divine on Earth with all the parts, large and small, working together in perfect concordance. Alternatively, we can focus on the artistry, craft, and design aspects of the parts that make up that cathedral, such as the stone masonry, the carving of capitals, the tympanum sculptures and gargoyles, the elaborate stained glass in the fenestration, the mosaics on the floor, and the altar or pulpit reliefs. Wherever we look we will see craft, the skillfulness of the creator, combined with intentionality, design, and creativity.

Some contemporary crafts artists pay tribute to the functional origins of their art in craft— as in the porcelain bottle forms by James Makins—even though the non-functional form prevails as a sculpture. Even the fabulous Greek vase, the Calyx Krater, mentioned at the beginning of the chapter, can be enjoyed in its entirety including the pottery form, the vase painting, and its apparent functional purpose as a vessel to drink from, although its scale makes it clear that this was a votive vase, not made for sipping wine or drinking beer!

Can you think of objects in your home that have attributes of being both functional and aesthetically pleasing or well designed? Do you have a piece of jewelry, a ring, or a bracelet that is both symbolic and visually appealing? As we begin investigating early works from our prehistoric and ancient historical past, which ones do you perceive as being made for art’s sake and which ones as having a specific function? How many had both? It will be important to take into consideration the purposes and values held within the time and culture from which the object came, rather than to impose our contemporary ideas of function and beauty upon them.

Understanding Concepts: Crafts have been a part of the creative world since ancient times. Find a few examples of the craft arts from the historical time periods and cultures covered in Chapters 13 through 22.

1. Take a look through the other chapters of our text and find two or three examples of ancient crafts. Make a chart comparing attributes of items from other chapters with the examples you encounter in this chapter: For example, how does the carving of the Iranian Ceramic Tabletop (image 3-17) compare with Lucy Lewis’ Acoma Jar?

• Compare: Guerrilla Girls Poster (image 21-41) with the color lithograph poster in this chapter by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (image 12-42).

Compare: Pectoral from Ordzhonikidze (image 12-23) to the Scythian animal plaque (image 15-9)

• Find and compare others:

2. Examine some of the other items from a craft tradition. What are some of the similarities and differences?

• Compare pottery from ancient Greek vase forms (images14-1, 14-2, 14-3, and 14- 13) with the ceramic forms in Chapter 12. Notes:

• Compare the Mycenaean hammered gold mask (image 13-25) or Tutankhamen’s gold coffin (image 13-20) to the gold metal work in Chapter 12. Notes:

3. Examine the “craftsmanship” of such pieces as the constructed “shrine” to The Liberation of Aunt Jemima by Betye Saar (image 1-33), the components of Judy Chicago’s Dinner Party (image 1-10), or the imaginative panels of the Bible Quilt by Harriet Powers (image 19-38).

• What skills and material knowledge were needed to create these works? Notes:

Making Connections: This chapter discusses many topics concerning objects made as “craft” items and as different types of design, and uses quotations and comments from various sources.

1. Find out more about one of these people quoted and their connection to craft and design in art: Jack Cowart, Martin Puryear, Guy Petherbridge, Tania De Brukyner, Wolf Von Eckardt, Andy Warhol, and Dale Chihuly. Person Quoted:

• Notes:

2. In A Closer Look – The Chandeliers of Dale Chihuly, glasswork designed by Dale Chihuly is discussed relating to the concept of ornamental and functional roles that craft art can fulfill. Since glass is a transparent or translucent medium, light becomes a factor

in considering how glass interacts with our visual sense. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work with a material while it is molten and too hot to touch, yet be able to form it into something that will be beautiful and/or functional when cooled?

• See if your local library resources have any of the assorted visual documentaries on Dale Chihuly. There are several that show how these works are created and how the artist has worked with other glass artisans in Venice, Japan, and other places in order to bring about the creation of a crafts-based sculptural installation within a specific environment, such as the chandelier featured in the text. Notes:

3. A Closer Look – The Fiber Arts of Faith Ringgold covers some of the essentials of this artist and her work. Here we see an artist who has reached into the traditions of women and of African culture to recreate a storytelling form of art as akin to the human spirit as cave art.

• There is a brief documentary, The Last Story Quilt, about this artist and her quilts. It may be possible to get more of an idea of the personality and working techniques of this artist from viewing this 30-minute documentary.

• Imagine what story you would depict if you were asked to create a "story" quilt. What would be the primary event, and who would populate your quilt? How many panels would be needed? Notes:

Taking Notes: As you may have noticed in reading this chapter, there are many different ideas, materials, and working techniques presented.

• In order to take effective notes for this chapter in class, create separate pages for each of the types of craft; for example, a page for clay and ceramics, then a new page for each of the following: glass, fibers, metalwork and jewelry, and wood.

• Do the same for the different types of design: graphic design (including package design, posters, logos), industrial design, fashion and urban design. This will help you especially if your instructor chooses to include other examples of each type. When it is time to study these works and their attributes, you will already have a sense of organization.

• There are over 35 widely varied terms in this chapter that refer to various modes of craft and design creation, including some well-known art movements. Find out the connection of Abstract Expressionism, Art Nouveau, and Pop art to the world of craft and design. Many of the terms refer to methods of working materials and the materials themselves. What is the difference between earthenware and terra cotta? Porcelain and jasperware? Batik and embroidery? Warp, woof, and weft? What is the word root meaning for the term "logo"? What does typography have to do with the overall appearance of a graphic design?

• If you are using sketches as a note-taking aid, it will be useful to include sketch notes indicating what techniques were used on different aspects of a craft or design creation, such as lost-wax casting, weaving, or multi-color offset lithography.

Preparing for Tests: The diversity of this chapter makes it one that can be challenging to prepare for in a test. Just as you did in Taking Notes, you must separate the categories outlined in the chapter and then try to understand all the different forming methods used for each type of material such as clay, fibers, graphic design, or industrial design. Creators' names, materials, techniques involved, and the function of the object (such as Cellini's ornate piece as a salt-and-pepper cellar) could be easily incorporated into test questions.

• Studying with a classmate may help you fill in gaps in your notes and may allow you time to review different aspects or qualities of each object or creation. Review in short limited sessions, asking each other likely questions about things discussed in class.

• If you are faced with a written or essay portion of a test, you might be asked to discuss, using an example of course, the combined aspects of aesthetics and function in a craft object, or a work of graphic design such as a poster or advertisement. Discussion of the composition of the poster's image and use of typography might be as important as assessing whether it is a successful tool for selling a product or advertising a theatrical production.

Here are a couple of samples questions to get you started.

• Image 12-1

Besides telling the story of Sarpedon, the Calyx Krater is an example of the craft of:

A. Glassware B. Ceramic

C. Metalwork D. none of these

• Image 12-20

This family portrait in fiber sculpture is by the quilt artist ___ .

A. Miriam Schapiro B. Sylvia Plath

C. Faith Ringgold D. Roberta Laidman

Answers to these multiple-choice questions are found at the end of this chapter. Review other sample questions for craft and design in the Understanding Art website (www.cengaga.com/art/fichner-rathus9e), in the Student Test Packet, or on the ArtExperience Online for Understanding Art.

Enhancing Your Observational Powers:

1. A Walk in the Park: Take a walk in a local park and discern the landscape planning that went into creating that space. What natural elements have been included? Water features? Trees and other plantings? Places for people to sit or play? Sculpture, plaques, shelters? How are these coordinated with the design? How are people behaving in this space? Do the behavior and the design seem to fit the space? Write your observations:

2. Form, Function and “Objectness”: Observe a functional object. A mechanical pencil or your car or bicycle will do.

• What features make this object work well?

• Do you find this object to be visually appealing? Why or why not?

• Find a designed object in your home. What would you change to make this object either more aesthetic or more functional?

Object chosen: Changes:

3. Observing the Structure of Eye Appeal: As you go through your day, find a poster announcing some event such as a concert or performance.

• What are the features of its design? How is the typography integrated into the visual design and imagery used?

• How effective do you think this poster was at catching your attention?

4. Looking through Colored Glass: Find a location where there is stained glass: a shop, antique store, public building, museum, or church.

• How does the presence of the colored glass alter the atmosphere of the space inside?

• Is the glass designed as an abstract array of colors, or is it pictorial?

• How has the artist designed the glass to fit into the window space provided—is there a distinct border shape?

For More Understanding: The text shows you diverse examples of crafts and design throughout. Chapters 12 through 22, and Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4 include some works that might also fit into these categories. Examining these readily available examples will enhance your understanding of how craft and design integrate with other art forms to fulfill various purposes by artists in the changing time periods and styles, especially addressing some of the newer computer-oriented design applications. Consult the Understanding Art website (www.cengage.com/art/fichner-rathus9e) as well.

ArtExperience Online for Understanding Art: Check out the video segments on wheel working and glassblowing under In The Studio and answer any follow-up questions.

Use the flashcard section to view images and figure drawings seen in this chapter. Create a study set using Chapter 12 images plus any useful pictures from other chapters.

Also learn more about the information and artwork presented in the A Closer Look sections.

The special Art Tour feature will virtually put you in museums around the world—in this case, Washington, D.C. This city’s art, architecture, and history along with directions, links to museum websites, photos, and more are featured in this segment.

Notes and Links to Remember:

(answers to sample multiple-choice questions: b, c)