Art and craft has witnessed the most drastic transformations since the post-modern era. The transformations have been not only in terms of thoughts but also in terms of technique. With new software coming in each day it became quite easy for the students to produce what their brain is holding. But what comes as a shocker is that the current generation is travelling back to their roots. Art students are shunning the digital techniques in order to revive old techniques. With companies like Etsy and Amazon Handmade running successfully, the need for authentic handmade products is back. Craft has a whole new meaning now. It is not just paper cuttings and cardboard carvings. Rather, it is far more conceptualized and drafted. It is more about mastering skills, being open to experiment and innovate extensively.
The entire agenda stands strong even after the much proclaimed 3D Printing Revolution. Some things work best the old way it seems. Students and art aficionados across UK are trying to learn traditional craft techniques such as stone carving, silver-smiting and woodwork. In fact, Bishopsland, the only place in UK with a complete course dedicated towards silver smiting lessons has witnessed a good increase in students opting for the extensive courses. The patience to learn is bringing the panache back to art and its related schools of thought.
Artists today have reinvested their faith in the magic old-school ideas hold. They have understood and realized that when it comes to art, what makes a piece of work a masterpiece is the originality, the essence behind it and the creator’s touch. The handicraft assures an invisible link between the viewer and the maker. After all, art is nothing but a combination of personal processes. When people go for buying a piece of art, they need to connect and the connection would be only felt when there is a chunk of the creator in the creation.
Though, this does not mean that they are saying a strict no to technology. Along with these old school techniques, the students are also learning CAD (Computer Aided Design). Though the viewpoint of the teachers seems contradictory but together, they have found a proper blend of both the techniques. That being said, it is now completely clear that digital will never be able to replace the handmade. The only reason being, personal touch matters, is seen and always valued. The sense of belonging with an art piece enhances with handmade works.
Smart folks are using both the techniques quite efficiently. In the end, it is all about producing the notion in head nicely on paper. 3D printing helps to bring on paper what the artist is going to carve. And what greater benefit than the end user knowing beforehand what will be they receiving afterwards. The drawbacks of technology based techniques were the murder of originality and consistent feel of inspiration. This led us towards the importance of good-old handmade techniques. The consistent boring texture and the flawless print take away the ethnicity and rusticity of the handcrafted.
Well one can see and easily say that time and now, a step back in time does create a difference that is worth noticing.
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