The concept of ‘craft' should not be restricted to ‘craft as a set of disciplines', for example as a subject of study, but be interpreted as ‘craft as process and practice'. The main interest of this study is to examine how to construct a multi-... The concept of ‘craft' should not be restricted to ‘craft as a set of disciplines', for example as a subject of study, but be interpreted as ‘craft as process and practice'. The main interest of this study is to examine how to construct a multi-perspectival framework for the concept of ‘craft'. In presenting the validity of ‘crafts as a process and practice', it is ‘constructive craft' that gives a clue to go beyond the boundaries set by the preconception of the term ‘craft' such as ‘craft as a set of disciplines'. Referred by Josef Albers (1888-1976), constructive craft was based on material study and interaction of sensory perception. ‘Constructive crafts' was a method of making through construction and combination. One could arrive at insight by experiencing not repetitious execution, but critical repetition called ‘variant'. Opposed by existing theories that had to be applied, the constructive craft was not a rigid following of mechanical direction, but flexible imagination set against self-expression. Josef Albers was an influential teacher, writer, painter, and color theorist—best known for the Homages to the Square and for his 1963 publication Interaction of Color. This emphasizes on his experiments and pedagogy related to material study. Depending of cultural background and geography, it is important to notice that the definition of the term ‘craft' is understood differently. The meaning in craft is different from the meaning in Gong-ye that is general translation of ‘craft' in Korean. The term Gong-ye is heavily charged with tradition and history and hardly goes beyond cultural boundaries especially when it refers to ‘craft as a set of disciplines' in Korea. Therefore, it is the reinterpretation of ‘constructive craft' that could offer an opportunity to objectify the term and rethink the philosophical value of manual work and handicraft. Recognizing the limitations of translation, Chapter I elaborates on how to define the term ‘craft' by examining the two issues of modernity and subjectivity. It is based on three positions to view craft; craft as a driver of modernization; craft as a methodology for healing modernity characterized by intense historical discontinuity; and craft as the result of non-subjective modern experiences. In addition, ‘constructive crafts' can be interpreted not only as a form of production but also as a form of life. The Concept of ‘material culture' proposed by Vladimir Evgrafovich Tatlin (1885-1953) is significantly related to the notion of the constructive craft. Tatlin identified utopia as a constructible entity on a material level and attempted to realize it in a real space. Chapter II analyzes Albers's interactive practices and theories related to material experimentation. Directed by Albers, Werkgrundlehre was the German Bauhaus Primary Course (Vorkurs); Werklehre at Black Mountain College; and the Basic Design Course at Yale University in which material experiment took place focusing on the ethics of perception. All related to the development of the will of the maker, these material experiments were driven by ethics of perception based on the methodology of the ‘variant'. Chapter III deals with the meaning of combinations and construction that Albers emphasized in his teaching. It analyzes ‘combines’ created by Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008) who was a student of Albers at the Black Mountain College from 1948 to 1949. It is through ‘combination' that Rauschenberg sought not to express, but to secure a critical distance. In relation to ‘construction', Chapter III analyzes works by Ruth Asawa (1926-2013) who also was Albers's student at the Black Mountain College from 1946 to 1949. Asawa's construction is understood as the construction of weaving, the construction of industrial production techniques such as electrolytic casting, and the construction of life through art activism. Based on the interpretation of both combinations and constructions, constructive craft can be summarized by the following six characteristics; first, it involves independent understanding of the maker; second, it emphasizes democratic aspects in choice of material; thirdly, it focuses on economic efficiency and efficiency; fourth, it respects the order in the substances; fifth, it is based on non-utopian realistic attitudes; and sixth, it incessantly pays attention to reflective attitude toward imperfection of human perception. Chapter IV deals with reinterpretation of constructive crafts. First, it proposes that skills of technique should not be accepted as an absolute evaluation standard in craft education. Next, based on observation and articulation, the constructive craft can be reinterpreted as a way of 'making' involving flexible imagination from a broader perspective. Chapter IV reinterprets the meaning of constructive craft through the perspectives of bricolage that includes any process of improvisation in a human endeavor and denotes any works or products of DIY endeavors. An attempt to explore the possibility of such a craft concept is an attempt to grasp the meaning of craft as a Poïesis practice. The homo faber's production was a practice that has been advanced for specific purposes within the norm specified by specific materials and special tools. On the other hand, constructive craft can be reinterpreted as a way to understand reality by utilizing limited materials and tools in new ways. It is not certain that the constructive crafts can still function as a form of ‘making' that can flexibly cope with the rapidly changing media environment. Nonetheless, construction craft is an effective methodology that can lead to the possibility of contemporary making that is deeply related to the process and practice. The 21st century interpretation of craft concepts cannot be the same as the 19th century interpretation. Therefore, we need to reconsider what the value of ‘making' is today. In conclusion, ‘constructive crafts' is not only an attempt to expand the scope of craft discourse, but also a methodology that fuses the relationship between actual material, space, even making for a subjective life. Keyword Josef Albers, Constructive Craft, Craft Theory, Interaction, Variant, Material Study, Combine, Ethics of Perception, Basic Design, Bauhaus, Black Mountain College, Bricolage, Craftivism
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