As the twentieth century technical landscape emerged, the arts & crafts design generation exemplified by Ruskin, Morris, Stickley & Wright [1] pondered the fate of traditional crafts as the industrial age took firm hold. Today, with the advent of digital tools and nascent artificial intelligence, a sympathetic anxiety has arisen.
Will the look, feel and spirit of the handmade artifact survive? We are about to find out. The answer lies with our collective behavior and not the prognostication of pundits or futurists. The unfortunate crucible of this century’s pandemic had the side-effect of forcing our citizens to pause, completely still, in unison for a sufficient length of time to rediscover a fondness for making things with their own hands. [2] Frugal e•Mart’s sales during that moment were anecdotal evidence of those resurgent desires.
Tool Chest by Henry O. Studley
The spirit that appreciates the work of human hands alone is still with us. If we collectively exercise that creative muscle, it will not atrophy. With the currently renewed interest in growing our own food, self-made artifacts and appurtenances demonstrate the uniquely desirable qualities of democratization and autonomy the citizens of our country find wholesomely reassuring. The “one market fits all” nature of mass production, especially in its digital manifestations, is clearly not the sole path forward. With desire & precise effort, the individually made imprints on our contemporary physical reality are proving just as indelible as those of large corporate entities.
‘Small’ is considered beautiful by some; but, most importantly, ‘small’ is attainable by all. Imagine a miniaturization of production to sufficient degree that a portion of what is nominally consumption of mass-made goods morphs into self-made staples via the careful acquisitions of the correct tools. What if, by way of knowledge and mastery of the proper tools, the public becomes the vicar that defines ‘quality’ in certain every day goods bringing meaningful choice back within its reach? Suppose a work bench became as common to each household as its kitchen table?
Small tool selling enterprises may provide instruments that help prepare the daily meal, replenish home goods, tend the backyard garden, or fabricate the presents exchanged at festival time. Larger concerns might sell the components of a home mill that provide that home with furnishings, maintains the means of personal transportation or domestic repairs. However, the guiding central theme is participation in the making of one’s own physical repose with the enjoyment of a modicum of autonomy and freedom which ensues.
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[1] John Ruskin (1819-1900); William Morris (1834 –1896); Gustav Stickley (1858–1942); Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (1867–1959)
[2] (The Third Craft Revival, 2023) “The Third Craft Revival;” Stanford Journalism; June 14, 2023. + (Chapman, 2021) “Mend and make new – how the pandemic reignited a repairs revival”; Chapman, Peter; The Financial Times; January 29, 2021. + (Jolliffe, 2021) “Could Our Year of Crafting Revive the Craft of Building?”; Jolliffe, Eleanor; Building Design; March 30, 2021.