Firstly, aside from the fact that both of these exhibitions are based on design and craftsmanship amongst society they are two totally diverse shows. I say this because, Grayson Perry’s work has an extremely unique appearance that you do not see everywhere and although the pieces in Power of Making were one of a kind, never to be created again pieces; they had a totally contrasting approach.
The pieces of fine art at The Power of Making- and I do consider them to be fine art as they are one of a kind works that show an incredible amount of value and skill- all show craftsmanship and nobody can deny that. The name of the exhibition is self explanatory- the act of being able to make and create something from our own hands truly powerful and some could say that nothing will ever hold as much meaning.
Due to different portrayals of craftsmanship throughout history and culture, people have come to have different interpretations of the word. Some would suggest that it carries an almost dated attachment to it and is about sticking to tradition. I disagree with this because I think craft is constantly evolving and that we all practice craft and apply it in ingenious ways.
Grayson Perry throws together a mix of his latest creations which do seem rather bizarre yet I suppose wonderful along with historical pieces of art from unknown craftsmen. It raises the topic of context because here we have a collection of excessively twee/comical pieces of textile set in what is a very cultural museum- along with precious pieces of historical artwork- yet somehow it works. Possibly forcing people to view two totally diverse ideas of craftsmanship together actually makes us realise that there isn’t that much difference at all, they were made by man, by hand and hold meaning so therefore are pieces of art and show craftsmanship. I cannot decide whether I truly appreciated this or not but what I do know is that it made me question and that is possibly the purpose of the show.
The Power of Making shows craftsmanship in the 21st century and this is exciting. Unlike Grayson Perry there isn’t a clear divide in the show, in fact the entire room is a complete mix of everything and has been described as very random. It was quite clear that this representation of ‘craft’ was based more on the idea of initial impact as each piece is there to make viewers question how one could possibly make such objects. The point that the show lacks is connecting the impact and overall image to the technicalities of it. This would make people understand the true craftsmanship that went on behind the object and this where Grayson Perry executes his show successfully. People who go to view exhibitions have a general understanding of what they think ‘fine art’ is and what ‘craftsmanship’ means but truthfully there is no real definition and this is what Perry demonstrates so well. He brings the old and the new, the whimsical and the traditional together and shows how they’re not really that far apart. In doing so he is making the viewer question our society and whether design has developed for better or for worse as well as giving them something to laugh about along the way.
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