'Servile Ornamentation'

John Ruskin, writing about 'The Nature of Gothic', introduces the very useful idea of 'Servile Ornamentation'. This is ornamentation 'in which the execution or power of the inferior workman is entirely subjected to the intellect of the higher'. This kind of ornamentation is characterised by symmetry, simple geometrical shapes and 'perfection'. By the latter Ruskin means perfect finish and regularity not that the ornamentation is aesthetically good. He was very conscious of the social conditions under which  it was produced. The 'servile ornamentation'  was produced by slaves following the rigid dictates of their masters. They were not allowed any freedom of expression.

He contrasts this with the art and architecture of the 'Gothic' style where craftsmen were able to show their individuality even if their execution was not perfect. Even if Ruskin's charactersisation of different styles of art is historically suspect, the idea that ornamentation should be the expression of a free spirit rather than a slave or an oppressed worker is one that is fundamental to British craftworkers.

Unfortunately there is still plenty of 'servile ornament' out there. A visit to any shopping mall shows that it is, in fact, the norm. Mass produced goods from the factories of Far East show it in abundance. It is especially evident in the jewellery that is on sale. This is why I get angry about factory made jewellery sneaking into Etsy and other on-line shops. [See previous post].

Some people say to me, 'Oh, but making that stuff gives people jobs in those countries'.  That's the same argument that Victorian factory owners voiced: 'We're giving these people jobs!' 'Jobs', as though that justifies everything. 'These people', 'Those countries', there's an implicit racism there. It's all right for them to work in bad conditions in sweat shops. If we were subject to those conditions  we'd be outraged.

Sorry, I'm starting to rant again. I'll shut up and go and make something.

Etsy & other On-line shops that sell crafts.

We sell some of the items we make through Etsy. Etsy purports to sell handmade items.  We had a good look around what it offers for sale. We also had a good look similar sites. We noticed that, particularly in the area of jewellery there were quite a few items that were clearly factory made.  Having been in the jewellery trade for  over thirty years we can recognise the factory made stuff from Thailand. This is annoying as it is difficult enough for craft workers to earn their living without having to compete with mass produced silver junk jewellery pretending to be handcrafted. A tell tale sign is usual the stamp 925 which is put on imported silver jewellery. So please be wary. Have a good look at the item and the story that goes with it. It's usually possible to spot the bogus items if you stop and think.

Crow Mirror

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I love crows so I made a crow mirror. The photos are quick snaps so apologies for the quality.

Members of the crow family are highly  intelligent. I know, I've listened to the jackdaws that are nesting in my chimney. They sound like they are chatting to each other. Today they were so noisy I got annoyed with them so I shouted up the chimney SHUT UP. And they did. I was quite surprised. I  must have given them a fright.

Phil

The Thames Delta Exhibition.... and Inspiration

Last Saturday I went down to Southend to attend the opening of the Thames Delta Exhibition which charts the rich history of popular music in the area. I was pleased to have contributed a few small items of memorabilia to do  with rock band, Doctor Feelgood, who in the 1970s were an amazingly powerful live act, one of the best ever in my opinion. My connection with them is through my school days friendship with Lee Brilleaux, Doctor Feelgood's outrageous frontman. Lee and our little gang spent lots of time -when we should have been doing school work-  creating all kinds of  poems, playlets, gags, drawings and fantasies. It was, I suppose, our response to the boredom we felt and a rebellion against the sometimes oppressive authority of our teachers.

I remember the feeling of delight I experienced as we created all this stuff. This delight is something that has stayed with me all of my life and which I constantly try to recapture. Sometimes I succeed, which is wonderful. You can't get back to the past but it can inspire you to explore fresh experiences and fashion metal, paint, clay, sounds, tastes or words -whatever your chosen medium is- into something new and amazing.

My favourite piece of 'art' from my school days is the revised 'Map of the World' that Lee and I created in a private study session. We made  Canvey Island the centre of the world and muddled up continents, seas and cities, added a few non-existent places, redid the points of the compass, reduced the USA to an offshore banana republic, made the Earth flat. Oh it was fun! Here it is.The red line traces our imaginary 'world tour'.

Sadly Lee died of lymphoma in 1994 at the age of forty one. I'll be attending the Lee Brilleaux Memorial Concert on Canvey Island on Friday the fourth of May. This raises money for Havens Hospice a charity that provides hospice care for adults and children in the Southend area. It provided support for Lee and his family. A worthy charity to support. I sell copies of the above map for £10 plus postage and packing. The £10 I donate to Fair Havens.

Parking in Melton. A whinge.

Down by the station there used to be a patch of land where you could park for free. Melton Borough Council resurfaced it and  installed pay & display machines. It now costs £3.30 for us to park there on Saturday. It also costs our customers money to park, of course. There are now no free parking spots in the centre of town. On Saturday Sharon overheard muttering and grumbling coming from people who were queuing to put their money into the machine and asked them their opinions on the charges. They expressed the view that the charges were an unfair imposition and were angry and resentful about them. They were obviously not starting their visit to Melton in a frame of mind conducive to happy shopping. Their mindset was negative.   
   Just out of town their is a large Tesco's. You can park there for free. You can also use their toilets for free. In town you have to pay 30 pence. Another annoying  little expense. I know this is a bit of a boring topic and you can, no doubt, detect the nasty whining tone in my voice, but it is this kind of practical issue that has contributed significantly to the decline of markets and town centres. Surely it is so obvious that it doesn't need a Mary Portas  to point it out. Or perhaps our politicians and planners are so out of touch that they only notice the obvious if its presented to them via an expensive glossy report.

Mary Portas recommendations has led to the government to creating a £10 million fund to encourage the utilisation of empty shops. This sounds a lot until you compare it with the new Westfield  shopping centre next to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford. This is a 1.45 billion pound enterprise. The shops there will be the usual big chains selling goods made cheaply in the Far East. Not good news for the small traders of London.

'But it creates jobs!', the politicians proclaim noisily. Jobs for shop assistants, security guards, cleaners and for the sweat shops of the Orient. Is this the kind of economy we really want?