Reading 1

            After reading these two articles I can see how they relate and I can also see how contemporary art students can relate to them.  I definitely see a push for beauty and function in pieces and there is a point in the making process where the maker decides whether they are going the function or nonfunctional route.  The ending paragraph o f Art Vs. Craft says, “the craftsman’s options become more varied and complex, so does the maker’s perspective”; I interpreted this as there are certain thinking processes when making functional pieces but it requires a different thinking process when making abstract.  I think the loathing directed toward “craft” is almost hysterical when Cezanne even referred to craftsman as imbeciles, as though quality doesn’t stand for anything, whereas Gropius in the 20^th century showed a shift in the attitude towards craft.  I really enjoyed Towards a Standard of Beauty and the way the argument for both handmade and machine made built up.  I feel there is a need for beauty in everyday items, there’s something about living with beautiful items that makes the quality of everyday better.  There is a place for machine made objects, but there is something about an item that is handmade.  As in giving a gift there’s something more unique in giving something handmade mug than in a cup that anyone can buy at Target.  But at looking at where art is going there is a convergence of utilizing machines while maintaining that individual quality that handmade piece have.