SYMPOSIUM - June 3rd
This one-day event was
jointly hosted by The Guild of St. George and the William Morris Society of
Canada. The symposium focused on the influence of John Ruskin and William
Morris on craftsmanship, both in their own time and on those who continue to
honour that legacy in their work today.
The symposium was a great celebration of Ruskin, Morris, and
craft!
The first presentation was by David Latham, who connected
the Noble Grotesque to Pre-Raphaelite art, as symbols thrown together in bold
and fearless connection, explaining that the designer and maker must then be
same individual. The Pre-Raphaelites were a rejection of academic art, and
looked to the idealized Medieval communal makers. In Canada, a colonial
response to folkloric traditions can be traced in the works of JEH MacDonald
and Homer Watson, who borrowed the nostalgic aestheticism of the Arts and
Crafts movement. It is in the work of Elaine Waisglass that the Arts and Crafts
tradition may be found, in the juxtaposition between the timeless use of light
and the immortal sense of her medium.
The next presentation was by Sara Atwood, who spoke of the
affinity between hand-craft and word-craft. “Writers are Makers as well”, as
words must be chosen, shaped, and are the tools of writers. Needlework can also
be allied to writing, in the choice and fine detail evoked by words, creating
meaning through word choice. Through the lens of John Ruskin, Atwood asserts
that the art of writing must be felt, and can be learned; there is a pleasure
and practice in its craftsmanship.
Artist Kateri Ewing spoke about her personal journey into
art through reading John Ruskin, and the importance of sight. It is through seeing
and careful observation that the artist can perceive the world and find beauty.
And it is the experience of making that is more important than the finished
product.
In her presentation, Rachel Dickinson discussed notions of
the ‘handmade’, and the marketing and branding reproductions that permeate the
market today. Her focus on textiles and our experience of them, as we
make/wear, choose our clothing, how we decorate our homes, etc. The ecology of
the Arts and Crafts movement is at odds with Industrialization, and this is
still a struggle we see today. The art of peace, through John Ruskin, is in
spinning and weaving; to demonstrate grace and beauty within, we adorn
ourselves and our homes with handmade and handcrafted items. We must support
ethically made products.
The final presentation of the day was by Ann Gagné,
who focused on maker culture and spaces in Toronto. She spoke of the tension
between technological tools and creative ingenuity, and the resurgence of
re-purposing in maker culture today. In part due to the dissatisfaction with the
poor quality of items available, the surge of makers and their craftsmanship a
drive for a new generation of makers. Gagné also mentioned the ‘re-purposing’
of historic Toronto buildings, and the need to keep to the adage of Morris and
Ruskin “to protect not perfect,” away from the “façade-ism” of Toronto’s architectural choices.
