The Artisanal
Recently, I’ve been intrigued by the idea of the artisanal.
It started several months when ago a friend returned from New York with a collection of artisanal cheeses. He had a small party for the cheese and us. At the party we were introduced to each cheese, where it was from, what is was made of, and by whom. We ate the cheeses in a specific order, accompanied by specific wines. It was both fascinating and delicious. I learned something about a food and it’s making, and in learning that, I learned to eat it differently, to appreciate it while I consumed it.
There is something seductive about the artisanal. Both in the act of creating it (being an artisan), and in the appreciation of it (being a connoisseur). Some might suggest this is just haughtiness. But, in fact, the artisanal runs through many of the most unassuming of communities and practices.
And I wonder about the artisanal in design.
The idea of being an artisan, of tending to the craft of production, is old. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons it has been forgotten in some forms of contemporary design practice. It’s not new. It’s not all about concept. In fact, it’s all about reality, the real.
And as for the appreciation of design, when was the last time we allowed our self to pause to enjoy a design? To really enjoy it? Do we even know how?
To be fair, there are some interested in the artisanal is design. The exhibition Strangely Familiar, Design and Everyday Life, collects together many of them. Although the use of the word artisanal is absent from the exhibition, there is evidence of it throughout.
What might the artisanal in design be?
Designers interested in small batches rather than mass production.
Designers interested in cultivating connoisseurs.
Connoisseurs patronizing the cultivation of designers.
Wonderfully radical ideas, especially the last one.
And I’m first to admit, artisanal might be the wrong word. After all the artisanal has been re-manufactured as a marketing ploy. But there is something there in that idea – and there is something missing in design.
phi-hong said,
May 21, 2004 @ 4 pm
[can it be any more obvious that this is a "carl as chad" entry? ;)]
interesting ideas. the truth is that really great designers are already interested in this notion of artisanal design, especially in the cultivating of connoisseurs. i’ve always thought that designers should be connoisseurs of more than just good design… of say, good foods & beverages, pens, stationery, maps, writing, music, etc. maybe this is what you mean, i’m not sure. and i also wonder - what does being a connoisseur of design entail exactly?
Maggie said,
May 21, 2004 @ 11 pm
You know what struck me most about your post. This sentence…
“He had a small party for the cheese and us.”
It is easy to think of us as the connoisseurs of the artisanal cheese. But what if you think of it the other way around. What if the cheeses were the connoisseurs of us?
It reminds me of the book “The Botany of Desire” where in addition to telling really interesting stories about apples, marijuana, potatoes and tulips the author (Michael Pollen) attempted to make the argument that while we may use plants to advance our evolutionary traits, plants may also use us to do the same thing. I’m not sure whether or not he made the argument, but I find the possibility of the idea incredibly intriguing. That somehow the objects we create are also on their own path and they use us and our needs, wants, desires to advance their own ends. Not sure what this idea would do to the role of designer?
Perhaps it puts us in partnership with the objects. Which brings me to my/your next point; the power of the real and not just the concept. Maybe we’re (and by we’re I’m refering mostly to people in design school at CMU) too often allowed to get away with the concept. By not making it real, by not engaging in the craft, we miss out on that moment to connect with people the way you connected with the cheese.
The partnership seems incomplete somehow. Just the same way that the idea and talk of all the exotic NY cheeses didn’t engage me all that much. But once introduced to the cheese at the party. I was smitten. ;)
As a complete aside - bold move making your first post about the artisanal and the connoisseur. Not easy words to spell, my friend. Way to raise the bar. ;)
Carl said,
May 22, 2004 @ 9 am
I agree that designers should be connoisseurs of more than just good design. They should be connoisseurs of life. Again, I know that might sound haughty, but in truth, I’m not so concerned about that (and I don’t think it is haughty). The issue is one of “design practice”, or how does one become and be a designer. And I think that would be a good topic for an upcoming post.
Maggie said,
May 22, 2004 @ 10 am
I’m more interested in the idea of “Connoisseurs patronizing the cultivation of designers.” If I’m understanding this right, it starts to think about designers having patrons. I honestly know very little about the role of patrons in the arts, but I think it would be wonderful for designers to have an option other than designing products as employees of corporations.
Just think, we could reinstate the WPA with a design division and wander the United States (the world) documenting and designing whatever caught our fancy. *sigh* This may be my new obsession.
Joy said,
May 23, 2004 @ 2 pm
Where do I sign up for the Design WPA? :)