Something to Drool Over

American Craft.
I can see your face. It's the same as mine. It's all scrunched up in an 'ew' sort of way. I only make crafts as 'art' and yet the word and all of its derogatory connotations still makes me cringe. I want to know why. Craft, in its definition, is described as a skilled activity and/or creating objects by hand. Its origin comes from kraft or 'strength'. As an art form it usually encompasses metals, glass, ceramics, textiles, and paper art.
So when did it get to be so ugly? For now, without going into detail, I'd like to blame it on the hippies, cat ladies, and your grandmother. And feminists because...well...they should be blamed for a lot of things.
But what I really want to talk about is the American Craft. It's a magazine. It's amazing. If you've never read it before or heard of it then from what was stated above you're still probably grossed out especially because the name of the magazine isn't really helping. But when you have a picture like this as your cover...



'craft' just kind of goes out the window.
I had never heard of it before but I kind of literally ran into the magazine rack at blick's and made a tiny noise that if it had been intelligible would have gone like 'OMGIWANTTHATCANIHAVEITCANIMAKEIT!DIDITHURTWHATELSEISTHEREISITSOLIDIWANTONE'. And the inside...I don't know basically it's my new favorite thing. What I was trying to articulate about craft at the beginning of this post is better stated in an article about the DIY movement [which from what I learned from a lecture last year should not be called a 'movement' any longer...phenomenon?] Anyway there are some amazing artists featured and blurbed about such as Hongtao Zhou, Lauren Kalman [featured on the cover], Dan Funderburgh, Diem Chau, Solos Glass, Toots Zynsky etc etc. along with a shitload of ads for other artists and galleries.
I will probably do a whole bunch of stuff just based out of this issue because I am now obsessed...
If you'd like to check this out further instead of waiting for me to gush about certain artists I'd recommend downloading the internet version of the magazine [though I prefer something tangible and that kills trees] at
www.americancraftmag.org

I've also decided that I craft in the deceitful sense of the word.