Reading 4

In the chapter "Material Consciousness" from Richard Sennett's The Craftsman he introduces three ways in which craftsman "guide the metamorphosis of their craft"and how the metamorphosis is dependent on our material consciousness. The three things that he talks about as guiding the evolution of a craft are   metamorphosis (change in how the craft is done, or change in procedure), presence(the craftsman leaving their mark), and anthropomorphizes (imputing human qualities to a raw material).

I was interested in the anthropomorphic section of the chapter where Sennett introduced the idea with the example of brick walls being described as friendly or honest.  people started anthropomorphizing brick because of color variation.  because there is variety within a group of people and variation within a group of bricks they are related and the bricks are personified.  we often personify a pot or a piece in class and give it human describers but I do not always think about why we do this.  Sennett points out that the reason for Anthropomorphism in craft is not only for explanation but to "heighten our consciousness of the materials themselves and in this way to think about their value".    When we naturally give human qualities to a inanimate object it means that we are able to relate to it differently that something that was not anthropomorphized.  

When considering presence, metamorphosis, anthropomorphosis, and trying to understand why these things are relevant and important, this was the most clarifying quote that i took from the chapter: "we could of course treat clay simply as a material that is necessary for cooking and for shelter.  Bun in this utilitarian spirit we would eliminate most of what has made this substance culturally consequent".  It is the history and the slow metamorphosis that makes ceramics "culturally consequent".  Without any material consciousness or acknowledgement of this history you are eliminating what i think Sennett is saying is interesting about clay as a material.  It is what makes a cup made of ceramic relevant in a world where plastic cups might be more accessible.  

It is also exciting to think about the evolution of craft as something that does not end.  I am not sure that Presence and anthropomorphosis are things that we as makers have the most control over, but metamorphosis is something that continues to evolve.  We have the potential to be involved in the evolution of ceramics in this way. It is interesting to think about the technologies that are being developed today that will metamorphosize ceramic practice in the same way that the invention of the potters wheel did.