Sommersemester 2015, BA/MA Textil- und Material-Design eLab

Contemporary Craft - an exploration of weaving societal patterns and creative collaboration

Aside from the aesthetic aspect, craft is appealing because of the history that a handcrafted object constructs; the story that forms of a set of hands that has directly influenced the object you hold in yours. The term embodies a relationship based upon a story of tradition, the knowledge of a craft, workmanship and the weight of time.

 

Since the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries, we have witnessed the standardization of industrial processes, which have served to marginalize the craftsman. My master’s thesis celebrates the joy of making, the connection and character that has traditionally been forged by a singular crafts- man, and translates it into a fun and collaborative game of trial and error. The creative and social participation that is required to weave a textile further characterizes the shift in collective consciousness that our society is currently undergoing.

 

By building a DIY shaft loom and adding an interactive element to this tool, a new set of circumstances is invent- ed in which the hand of the craftsman reemerges as a collaborative effort. By working together, the players are both designers and makers, co-creating through the creative process of a Contemporary Craft.

Project subjects BA/MA Textil- und Material-Design