Arts and Crafts Revolution?

Queen Victoria Opens The Great Exhibition

When people speak of the Arts & Crafts Movement of the 19th century they generally think of the art form we associate with it. However, there was a cause as there are in all movements of it's kind that still resonates to this day. It was a call to arms against the onslaught of industry and the destruction of craft work. A call to arms that may need to be trumpeted again. Here is a short version of the circumstances surrounding the movement.

On May 1, 1851 Britain opened "The Great Exhibition of All Nations" which was intended by Albert and Victoria to be a celebration of Britains industrial strength as well as foster an appreciation for free trade and industrialism. The problem was that many in Britain did not see this industrialism and free trade as a blessing but more a curse. Industry was making some people wealthy and others poor thus dividing the nation into a deplorable class imbalance. If I may borrow the words "A nation of masters and wage-slaves was emerging." A nation devoid of social responsibility of any kind. This issue and debate I might add is complicated. Too complicated for me to cover in this blog plus there is plenty of information out there on the subject.

As quickly as industrialization was destroying values and deepening the class divide it was equally crushing the craftsman under it's weight. The economic part is easy to digest since we see this still today too. The artisan soon found himself put out of business in the name of price, volume and convenience. More damaging still is the social change that took place. Industrial goods were being glamorized and idolized so much at the time that people no longer valued craft work in the way they had. Again, it's much more complicated than what I am laying out here but you understand where I am going.

William Morris at Oxford Aged 23

Then comes The Arts & Crafts Movement. It's founding members were nostalgic about the works created by ancient artists and craftsman. They were hungry to bring back products that exemplified hard work, passion, originality and craftsmanship as opposed to the uniformity of mass production. They desired to rescue the lost arts and techniques of craft work before they disappeared from our world forever. The movement blossomed from about 1880 through 1910 but lasted quite a bit longer in some places around the world.

It's interesting that these ideals the followers of the Arts & Crafts movement lived by are so similar to the ideals many artists of today have founded their businesses on. I myself founded Ferrochie on the principles and values of hand crafted work but at the time never made the connection. Many artists I have spoken to didn't realize how closely aligned we are with the sentiment of that time. I wonder if there is something we can learn from this past movement that may give rise to a new modern movement based on today's realities.
One thing is for certain in my mind and it's that industrialization is here to stay. It's a major part of our world economy and is as necessary as drinking water in keeping it running. I've never been against industrialization as those of the movement were either. I feel that we just lost touch with the fact that machines are tools for humans to use to help us create. They are not tools to help us become lazy, disconnected from our work and ultimately lose valuable skills. The moment we allow a machine to dictate the design of something or force us to change our design because it's easier, we lose. However, the social disasters that they feared do still haunt us today. Look at the ridiculous wage gaps between the average worker and the executives of any given organization. Lowering worker benefits while increasing executive bonuses is another. These as well as a host of other inequalities in the workplace exist in excess. It's now such common place that our system has adjusted to work with this issue rather than to correct it. Education is geared to preparing young people for this reality as though it's the only option. You need only look as far as the vast number of fast food MBA's available to see it. These days very few schools offer education in crafts, trades or the like. Why? No market for it.

Can we get back to a place and time when hand craft is more main stream and respected again? Some of us think we can or at least I do. I'd settle for a time an place where hard work, dedication and passion are respected and rewarded in any career choice. A place where we can reconnect with the humanity in produced goods rather than the profit in it.

Central Texas Style

Back Yard View

This week I am on a strategy retreat in Wimberley Texas just outside of Austin. I have never been here before and the views are spectacular. Look at this back yard view! It's amazing. Just this morning there was a small pack of wild boar grazing in the front yard. Not a good idea to try to pet one though as they will charge. :)

Door Table

Anyway, I wanted to share a few pieces with you that are in and around the property that I thought were interesting. First is this coffee table made from an old door. It has tons of character with it's cracks and nail holes and old hinges. It accents the space perfectly and compliments the overall Texas style of this property.

Vintage Branding Irons

What about these vintage branding irons. They are authentic and have the wear and tear to prove it. It's fun to pick up a piece like this and feel the texture, see the age and experience the history. I thought for a second I might take this out to the camp fire and give it a test run but I don't think I want to wrestle down a tick infested boar to try it. It's a battle I probably wouldn't win anyway.

Saddle Art

I like this next piece a lot. It's essentially saddle art I suppose. I admit I'm no cowboy so I don't know the name of this part which is the handle. The leather is long gone and replaced by two hook for coat hanging. I just like found and re-purposed objects.

I have a lot more images from this home but I'll leave you with this. The property was able to keep and utilize some natural rock formations as part of the back yard patio area. As it turns out the formations were perfectly positioned to be functional without being disturbed.

Natural Stone Path

If you look closely at the bottom of the image you can see where the natural stone leaves of and the more yellow new flagstone was laid down. I thought that added a very interesting story to the property.

Natural Formation Left/New Flag Stone Right

I'll be here a few more days and I'll be on the lookout for some other cool design elements.

Jingle Bash Success and Fall Rollout 2010

The Popular Item

The Jingle Bash turned out to be the best show yet. I was excited to see many of my friends came out to support us and to help as well. Johnathan Sanders who I mentioned in my previous post helped me run my booth for a good five hours of the show! Thank You Johnathan!

So I used this opportunity to introduce many new items that I haven't even posted to the website yet or made available to purchase on line either! I'll remedy that by the weekend but in the meantime I'll release them here.

In the upper left it the Tria Lamp. It was hugely popular in terms of grabbing attention. I am very proud of it and have a few orders in already. Not that I am not proud of everything that is.

The La Marais Series is a candle and base product that features candles By Johnathan Sanders. There is a complete line of fragrances but I only sold Holiday scent at this event. I will post the complete line on my website.

DaVinci's Flying Machine kinda speaks for itself. It's an artists interpretation of the sketches and will probably crash just as easy if you launch it. Great decor item. There is so much more and so little time so I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves (at least here on the blog). Full descriptions will accompany the website postings.

Jingle Bash Crunch Time!

King and Bishop

With Jingle Bash looming this weekend production has been in full swing. Although exciting, getting ready for a show is one of the more challenging things I face. Inventory is not a word that is friendly when you are bench making every single item.

Victorian Ornaments

These past few weeks have been full full throttle. I should really check the back of some of these lacquer cans and pay attention to the ventilation requirements. :) I am excited about many of the new products we will be introducing. I have a line of Victorian Ornaments that are special for this show. They have a variety of different colors and later (meaning next year) I plan to experiment with paints and other additional decoration of the ornament. I want to wait and see how they do first. Misty has been putting together some really impressive vintage paper ornaments too. I am excited about those. There is also a new companion to Oberon's Gateway that will remain a surprise until after the show. Two new furniture pieces, new vintage paper items, DaVinci's Flying Machine, new lighting, it's crazy!

Candle Base for By Johnanthan Sanders

I'm also excited to be working on custom candle bases for the By Johnathan Sanders line of scented candles. There will be several styles to choose from and as always they are all customizable to your tastes. http://www.byjohnathansanders.com/

I gotta get back in the shop and finish all this up. I'll be uploading all the new stuff to http://www.ferrochie.com/ as soon as the show is over on November 20th.

One Year Celebrations

Ferrochie EST. 2009

One year ago this month I started the experiment called Ferrochie Studio. It's still very much a experiment but one that has had some surprising outcomes along the way. What started with simple wood candle holders has grown to home accessories, furniture and much more! All because of the support of many friends, family and loyal customers.

So this weekend we celebrate the year that has past and the years yet to come and owe a great deal of thanks to all of you. You know who you are! :)