7.5.14

what is craft aesthetic?

I was reading an old copy of Oh Comely [issue nine] and came across an interview Liam Stevens who draws. A LINK to a PDF of the page. Quite near the beginning he says:
"I like to keep things from looking too slick, and try to retain a craft aesthetic"

What is all this about? Craft has an unfinished look? A raw look? Might it actually mean a DIY or amateur or untrained or outsider or naive or untrained or something or other aesthetic... this seems to go hand in hand with the thrift aesthetic [which of course is not about thrift but about looking like thrift].

Perhaps it is uncharitable or churlish to pick up on this but I just thought about all the skilled craft people I know [and don;t know] and their striving with materials and it jarred.

The craft of drawing is an ongoing practice, a skill.

Craft:
noun
1. an activity involving SKILL in making things by hand
2. skill used in deceiving others

verb
1. exercise skill in making [an object], typically by hand

2 comments:

Isabelle said...

I couldn't read the context of the quote but your reaction makes him, it seems to me, a pompous ass. You're probably right!

Flo Fflach said...

You have reminded me to add a link to a PDF of the article!