CRAFT CONVERSATIONS
Kirsten Faulkner
she/her
I am a tactile designer and champion of craft.
The past year has seen a resurgence in crafting as people have been drawn to the slow paced, meditative nature of making with your hands. My mum taught me to knit when I was around 8 years old, but it wasn’t until lockdown last year when I reconnected with the technique and have been knitting non-stop ever since. My practice operates at the intersection of craft realms and digital realms, bringing them together to find new opportunities.
My craft renaissance (Peach, 2013) was stimulated by the slowed-paced nature of lockdown and our increasingly two-dimensional digital existence. The revival of knitting techniques in my own practice is reminiscent of the craft revival in the 1970s, where the principles of the Arts and Crafts Movement re-emerged. The movement’s values are reflected in my own practice; the celebration of traditional, “pre-industrial modes of production” (Stankiewicz, 1992), the joy in labour (William Morris) and the value of hand-crafted over industrial-made.
As a designer/maker, I am drawn to the highly connected nature of a hand-made practice. The notions of material connection, the essence of human touch (Ingold, 2013) and the commitment to craft guides my process of making. I believe the strength of hand knitting lies in its versatility. Hand-knitting allows me to create a variety of textures, forms and motifs ‘that would be technically difficult and commercially impossible in a factory-made product’ (Sutton, 1985). My design approach is iterative and experimental; “The more you invent stitches, the more eloquent you become and the further you can push them” (Roberts, n.d.). I design with an awareness of the past and reimagine traditional techniques for the current moment.
The balancing act of making craft objects accessible, without any loss of originality and quality, is one I believe all craftspeople struggle with. ‘I do not want art for a few any more than education for a few, or freedom for a few’ (Morris, 1882). Patricia Roberts understood that knitwear had to go in ‘a different direction to justify knitting by hand at all’ (Roberts, 1983). During the 1970s craft revival, Roberts made her knitted creations accessible to those who couldn’t afford to pay £800 for an intricately hand-knitted jumper. Her solution was to sell knitting-kits and develop her own yarns, so the home knitter could ‘make their own replicas of her very original designs’ (Sutton, 1985). Her approach to craft inspires my own design thinking as my work attempts to be both original and accessible.
Craft cultivates connection. As craftspeople, we create to deepen our understanding of things; to connect beyond ourselves (Greer, 2014). “[My] craft is [my] voice” (Greer, 2003). I seek to uncover connections, relationships and opportunities within the design realm and beyond. I imagine my craft will change as my voice changes as I continue to search for connection and understanding. I am inextricably connected to the objects I create as they contain the essence of my movements. I find value in the practice of crafting, due to its reflective and meditative nature. The dedication of time, effort, passion and skill that we as craftspeople put into our practice is the commitment to craft. To all of my fellow craftspeople celebrating Sydney Craft Week: Your Craft is Your Voice. Use it well - craftivism manifesto, (Greer, 2003).
