good elephant pottery

An Indie-Craft Experiment

11/22/2011

This weekend I will be at BAZAART at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. This show is, to some extent, an indie-craft show (google the term "indie-craft" if you don't know what that means). Though not entirely, it is a mix of indie-craft, fine craft, and fine art. I used to look down my nose at indie-craft, because it typically does not require decades of practice to master, and the price points are kind-of low. But I can see that indie-craft is a growing segment of the art world. And the more I observe it, the more I appreciate it's one area of strength that traditional crafts could learn from ... an emphasis on good design. I never thought of pottery as belonging in that category, but design has always been a priority for me, because of my education and my previous career. And last year when I did this show for the first time, I was surprised that I did quite well amongst an indie-craft environment.

So this year I am trying something different ... I will thoroughly embrace an indie-craft-style display for my work. My usual packing list for a show is a full-page, two-column list of items, including many one-of-a-kind items. But for this show, my packing list is only nine items, and I will bring lots of volume of these nine things. These items were chosen based on good design, things that appeal to both pottery fans and non-pottery fans. And everything will be under $50.

Bowl with chopsticks $40 each or 2/$75
Enormous coffee mug $35 each or 2/$65
Mini elephant $20
Elephant tea light holder $40 or 2/$75
Chickadee tea light holder $22 or 2/$40
Small birdhouse $48
Set of four coasters with crab fossil $30
Personal teapot $48
"Peace + Joy" ornament $10

When my students ask me "what will happen if I try this new idea?" I answer "there's only one way to find out." So this weekend I will be taking my own advice. If this goes well, I may start applying to more indie-craft shows next year.

2 Comments

Stubby

11/23/2011 05:08:09 am

Well, if ya can't beat 'em join em.
What a co-incidence. Suddenly, when you want to sell something, "indie-crap" suddenly is a viable alternative to "traditional craft." You're a mercenary - wherever the money is, whichever way the wind blows, you suddenly embrace that idea. You have no ideals, no scruples, no courage.
Indiecrap is mostly marketing, which fits your mindset perfectly; because when the going gets tough, nothing like a little hype and puffery to sell that junk.
You make great stuff, it's too bad you're probably going to end up next to a person that glues garage-sale dishes together into "sculpture."
And for your information, traditional craft has NOTHING to learn, in any form, from this new marketing phenomenon. Trad craft has some of the most skilled people in the world working in, and at it. Funny, you don't see peole at SOFA shelling out $50k for a piece of indie-crap made by someone that learned to knit last week. But that is a goal that is too hard for most people, including you, apparently, so you suddenly "embrace" this new junk as being on par with work that requires years to perfect. It's the new American way - quick results, and "don't you dare suggest that any of this work isn't as good as a Lino Tagliapietra glass piece,
Phil Moulthrop turning, or Sergei Isupov sculture! We're talented, dammit!"
Yeah, right.

Mea Rhee link

11/23/2011 05:37:17 am

Stubby, you have to admit that traditional crafts have suffered greatly in the recent economy. And I see lots of world-class craftspeople whose style is stuck in 1980s suburbia, and I think that has a lot to do with it. Another problem with working artists is that, like you, too many think "marketing" is a bad word, and that's another thing that all artists can learn from the indie-craft movement. FYI, I'm not trying this because I'm having trouble selling in traditional craft venues. I sell my work as fast as I make it. I'm trying this because I think it has merit. Indie-craft has absolutely no bearing on venues like SOFA. If you think it does, you are drawing connections that don't exist. Shifting blame. You are only hurting yourself with your closed-minded and fearful point of view.

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An Indie-Craft Experiment

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