Reading 1

One idea from the authors that resonated with me was the idea of social oppression perpetuating growth in the world of ceramics. In the standard of beauty, the author brings up this point directly to the audience. In the "Arts vs. Crafts" reading the author talks about how contemporary artists incorporate personal identity within their work. Both authors speak about the effects of the mechanized society and how it brings upon these new areas of growth.
I feel that industrialization created a situation where functional artists needed to fulfill a different role in their ceramics, moving from the concentration of design and functionality towards pieces that create more intimate settings with the audience. In a world where functional ceramics are being mass produced, artists I feel need to create more artistic pieces that resonate with audiences past functionality and design of objects. By incorporating identities and pieces of the artist as a person, artists can create pieces that are more than just mass produced objects for their users.
The presence of social oppression within the lives of artists enable them to connect with people in the outside world, creating a commonality between the artist and users. With the arrival of the industrial era, artists needed to create pieces that stood away from the mass produced object. I feel this helped amplify the idea of manifesting a dialogue between pieces and their users. Through the lens of social oppression, artists could create pieces that was not only reflecting tensions within themselves as an individual but that reflected tensions within their marginalized group. Social oppression not only enhanced dialogue between viewers and work, but also created a purpose for artwork more than just the making of a piece for use. I feel this created a scenario where artists were communicating to larger audiences, reflecting ideas that reach a more institutional level than individual level. This I feel is why pieces stand out today from the pieces created from the mechanized world, because people can have connections with the handmade and have them reflect their own story, as opposed to generic mass produced ceramics. The handmade also reflects more uniqueness and individuality than a mass produced object.