The Duplika Exhibition

by Kristian Berg Nielsen

The argument between arts/crafts and mass production is one that will never end. Ruskin and Morris have a strong case for themselves and Marinetti has a valid point as well. Obviously the arts/crafts community had much strong foot holdings in the past when mass production seemed something of a far out reality. But as the times changed and production methods shifted to a more streamlined and money efficient technique, the artists and craftsmen became a dying breed.

Don’t get me wrong; it’s sad to see them go, but have we really lost the arts and crafts type? Or have we simply reinvented artists and craftsmen? I find it interesting that the “Danish golden age” of furniture and even industrial design occurred after the industrial revolution, the biggest culprit in the push for mass-produced goods. The chairs of Jacobsen and Juhl certainly were not woodshed carved furnishings, however the first iterations should be considered of the arts/crafts genre.

[http://perpenduum.com/2008/05/finn-juhl/]

Therefore I’d like to think that today, that many of our arts and crafts, our hands made items, end up becoming mass-produced.  This means the quality and integrity still lies behind the item, the only difference is the wood was cut by machine not saw. Many of our mass produced designs are still very sensible. For example the Royal Copenhagen Collection. This blends the boundary between mass production and hand made. Additionally, the Pinocchio Rug sold at Illums incorporates hand created elements in a mass produced item.

[http://www.illumsbolighus.dk/uk/product_detail.asp?mode=master&maID=28630]

So put the fight between Ruskin/Morris and Marinetti to rest. Times change. Things evolve. We must not draw such black and white conclusions between mass-produced and arts/crafts, because by doing so we miss the subtle details.