Tarkko Oksala & Tufan Orel
On the Persistence of Craft Despite its Ramifications as Technology, Fine Arts and Design
Past times: are we reactionists, then, anchored in the dead past? Indeed I should hope not; nor can I altogether tell you how much of the past is really dead. I see about me now evidence of ideas recurring which have long been superseded. – William Morris, The Arts and Crafts of To-day, 1889
Introduction This paper proposes to highlight some of the most crucial historical moments in the continuity and the persistence of craft culture. After its ramification as technology and fine arts in the 18th century and as design in the mid-twentieth century, craft loses its importance, not only in the modes of production, but also in the relations that we have with objects of everyday life. Yet some robust signs indicate that craft is still vivid today in production as well as in our daily lives. It has managed to continue to exist by other paths, as will be explained in this paper. This paper has a theoretical frame which is followed by a case study: it is especially consecrated to Finnish culture and experience. — The theoretical approach itself is divided into two parts. In the first part we will pinpoint some important dates of craft culture since its origin in Ancient Greece until the 18th century. Afterwards we try to show how Technology, fine arts and design have obtained their autonomy by gradually distancing themselves from the craft. The second part is on the three major figures by which we can detect the persistence of craft culture today: hidden craft, ambient craft and manifest craft. The aim of the case study is to test the theoretical frame presented earlier in which know-how in craft is divided into hidden, ambient and manifest forms. As a case we consider here the development of craft culture since 1900 in Finnish architecture and design in general. Detailed historical remarks are made in the first half of 20th century. The second half is discussed concerning general trends mainly having some relevance up to the global problems of today. 30
