Counter Craft - Issue 1 - Printable Booklet

8/3/2019 Counter Craft - Issue 1 - Printable Booklet

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counter craft - issue 1

crafting the occupationwww.counter-craft.org

counter craft is an ongoing research project thatcritically explores how art, craft, history andactivism intertwine. As a website & zine, countercraft will serve to collect and comment on the variousaspects of modern craft, specifically craftivism.Although its roots can be traced further back inhistory, craftivism is a term coined in 2003 by BetsyGreer which she defines as the practice of engagedcreativity, especially regarding political or socialcauses. Throughout history artists have subvertedmaterials, tools and technologies to express theirideas. counter craft will examine the ways thatmakers, such as artists and craftivists, usetraditional craft materials as well as mass-producedproducts in ways not intended by the originaldesigners. I believe that by subverting andrepurposing materials through the use of craft we canopen public discourse, create change and gain afoothold in breaking away from the corporate designwe inhabit.

Through this project I hope to explore the tensionbetween mass-production, our needs as makers and howcraftivism can be a force to address discontent witha postindustrial world.

December 2011

made with in new haven, ct, usa

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!"#$%t-shirt market bag

honestlywtf.com/diy/diy-market-bag

lemonjitters.blogspot.com/2011/09/diy-hair-comb.html

woven hair comb

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laurenelisecrafted.com/blog/2010/3/25/crafted-diy-silhouette-mason-jars.html

silhouette mason jars

honestlywtf.com/diy/diy-woven-chain-bracelet

woven chain bracelet

background: www.alexandrahadj.blogspot.com

crafting the occupation

3. zuccotti park

5. new zealand

11. berkeley

13. stitchAMERICAtogether

19. on crafting publics

23. craft for the 99%

25. buy nothing christmas

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feel strongly about to the groups adding to thediversity. I know that some members are very concernedabout Maori rights within New Zealand and some othermembers are particularly concerned with environmentalissues and queer issues. It is fantastic to have a groupwhere we can all work together towards a shared goal of abetter world.

How didThe Wellington Craftivism Collective becomeinvolved with the Occupy movement? What projectshave you done with Occupy in mind?I had been a follower of the Occupy movement from thebeginning as I feel very strongly about injustice throughcorporate crime and capitalism. Emily had had an idea atone of our meetings that we should give away freecupcakes to people. When Occupy Wellington came intoexistence, we decided to take the free cupcake stall ideathere. You would be amazed at the response you get frompeople when you give them free things, its amazing. Wehad such an amazingly positive response and the ideas forother projects as well as an enthusiastic membership have

snowballed from there. We felt that in the same way ascraftivism, that free cupcakes were a completelyunthreatening form of protest and an excellent way inwhich to get people to engage. The first cupcake stallbecame such a success that we ended up going back nearlyevery weekend for over 2 months holding more. In additionto the cupcake stalls, we have also launched our giantOccupy blanket project. We have held patchmakingworkshops for this project, one of which was at theOccupy Wellington site. We are inviting world wideparticipation for the project - by doing this and havingthe blanket travelling and exhibited we hope to spreadthe messages the blanket conveys to a much widercommunity.

How did the idea for the Occupy blanket come about?How is that project going?The original idea for the blanket was Emilys. I wasalways keen to do a large scale group piece and this fitthe bill perfectly. Emily has always been inspired bywomens insitutions and such that make as a group patchwork blankets that are then distributed to homelesspeople. The idea for the blanket to travel emerged from abrainstorming session. The project is going really well,the overseas patches are taking longer to come than weinitially thought but we do know that some are on thereway. Its hard getting people to be inspired and motivated

perhaps our only meaningful activity today issomehow related to consumption - if thats watching TVand therefore commercials or buying a ticket to thecinema, everything is somehow funneled through thenarrow field of consumerism. I think craft tries tofind other ways of discussing what is meaningful time.

Occupy has received a lot of criticism from those whofeel that the occupiers have had their chance to have

their say - they can vote with their money or withtheir elective vote. To that, Otto responds, that issuch a limited view of what democracy is becausedemocracy is freedom of speech, freedom of assembly allthese sort of things that creates the publicdiscussion. I think that there is something reallycorrupt when we all start to think that it is only theact of voting that is the democracy. So an activistbecomes one who has a social agenda that acts outsidethe narrowly legitimized scope of what democracy is.

Otto then talked more in depth about the importance ofcrafting in a public space. Its powerful to see howyour act actually connects to form publics. You knowJohn Dewey and his discussion about publics - thatthere is this general public - but of course everyissue creates a small public. Activism address THEpublic. How do we create small publics around everyissue, around ourselves that then generates newinfluences? And thats where I really think craft is aconnective tool. How does your craft connect to otherpeople to form a little public? And how does that act

initiate discourse and disseminate, cultivate skillsamong your immediate environment?

I think these are all important questions that weneed to explore for ourselves if we are interested incraftivism. I found this discussion to be quiteinspiring and I hope you do too. To explore more ofOttos work visit: http://www.selfpassage.org

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I recently spoke with Otto von Busch, AssistantProfessor of Integrative Fashion at Parsons the NewSchool for Design. Much of Ottos research exploreshow fashion can be used for empowerment, self-develop-ment and personal growth instead of being a phenomenonof top-down decrees and collective anxiety. Hisprojects, which he groups with his research under thename >self_passage< try to bend the power of fashion

to achieve a positive personal and social conditionwith which the Everyperson is free to grow to his/herfull potential by means of engaged fashion practices.

During our conversation, we explored how his researchcan apply specifically to the Occupy movement. What Ifind the most interesting about Ottos work, is thathes constantly trying to break down codes, the pathswe inhabit and applying it directly to his practice infashion and making. I think a lot about whatresistance is today. If we are not going to the streets

to demonstrate, convince other people or the media thatour cause is right, how do we build other strategies,other points of departure for work? Occupy Wall Streettries to address banking, democracy - how can we ascrafters address that? How can we as crafters make adiscussion culture where we discuss as we work?

Craft has a long history of resistance, the bestexample of this resistance came out of the IndustrialRevolution with William Morris and the Arts & CraftsMovement. Industrialization and consumerism have had

such a huge impact on our society and part of craftsrole today has become a resistance to a culture thatconstantly sells itself to us. As Otto puts it,

from the other side of the world without somethingtactile and tangible for them to feel and see. I thinkthat when the blanket travels, people will get excited tobe involved. It was amazing today to see peoples responsefrom us laying down the patches, to show the beginningsof the blanket and what it will look like. People thoughtit was really cool and then wanted to contribute as theycould see for themselves what it was about. I think thatnow the momentum is going it will start to carry itself.

The plan for where and how the blanket will travel is nowunfolding. We will be announcing the locations it willvisit very soon. We are really really excited that one ofthe locations will be Wall St too!

Can you tell me about your patch making workshops?We have had 2 patch making workshops now. One was held at128 Radical Social Centre where we were able to use theirscreen printing facilities. We had people on hand withdifferent skills such as operating the screen printingequipment, cross stitching and knitting which enabled usto skill share. The second workshop was Saturday,December 10th at Occupy Wellington. We have received a

lot of fabric donations for the project which means weare able to move towards our goal of being able tooperate sustainably. %


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'()*)+,''-./0*+-'')12/),/0''3014/+)Gather 2-12 participants -a group of friends, familymembers, community members, a craft group, a classroomof children, a handful of coworkers, etc.

With your group, begin to brainstorm and share ideasabout how you would like to improve our country. Whatsorts of issues affect your life the most? What wouldyou like to know more about?EXAMPLES: Health Care, Environment, Education, Poverty,Immigration, Economy, and Marriage Equality.

Begin to think about how your daily personal choicesaffect one or more of the discussed issues. You willthen illustrate your ideas, then transfer theillustration into an embroidery.

Your embroidery will be used with your peers work tomake the final quilt. The quilt will be a visualrepresentation of your groups ideas, conversations,opinions, hopes and commitments concerning our country.

QUILTING

A block quilt is one way to stitch the embroideriestogether for this project. The Block is the basic unit

of the pattern. Below are the basic steps to make aneasy Block quilt.

Cutting the fabricPlace the fabrics in a pile, one over another on theplace mat. Take the ruler and use the rotary cutterto cut the pieces that will outline the embroideredsquare.

Wellington Craftivism Collective is creating agiant patchwork blanket to show support andsolidarity for the Occupy Movement. We invite

people from all over the world to submit patchesto us by mail, these patches will then be lovingly

crafted together to form our united blanket.

All patches need to be 20cm x 20cms (please leavea 1cm border blank around the edge to give us

space to sew them together with out loosing any ofyour beautiful designs).

The patch can be made in any fabric based medium:cross stitch, knitted, crocheted, embroidered,

fabric paints, felt Get creative!

This is your chance to make a statement, use yoursquare to convey how you think the world could be

a better place.

Send completed patches to:7/b Blucher Ave, Newtown, Wellington, New Zealand.

Please invite your friends to take part!

Love the Wellington Craftivism Collective

Website: http://wellingtoncraftivism.blogspot.com

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Max Ventura has been a part of Occupy Berkeley sinceits inception on October 8, 2011. She has been involvedin activist activities for 30 years and believes thatthe work of thousands of activists over the past fewdecades has finally come to fruition in the form of theOccupy movement. Ventura has a tent set up at the campand often brings her daughter and two sons whom she

home schools to the protest, she says that their timethere has become their civics class.

Tired of the press focusing on the negative storiescoming out of the Occupy movement, Ventura wanted tostart a project that was both positive and productive.A long time knitter, she decided that knitting withits tradition of bringing people together and its abil-ity to create objects which clothe and comfort, wouldbe a great activity to bring to the Berkeley occupa-

tion. Knit-In at the Sit-in invites participants toknit and crochet hats, scarves and mittens to send toencampments in colder regions. Although Occupy Berkeleyhas faced pounding rains and gale force winds, Venturawas aware that their camp still has better weather con-ditions than a lot of other camps across the country.She says the knit-in project is a statement of soli-darity a way to recognize that we are part of one bigweb and a way to share time and love with others.Participants are encouraged to add a note to the recip-ient of the objects they knit to make it more personal

and take the message of solidarity one step further.

thats what so great about it. The people aremaking these decisions. If I am criticizing, then Ishould be asking myself how I can get more involved.I want this project to help people understand howtheir ideas can be turned into daily choices andactions that align with their vision for our country.

Do you think craft should play a greater role in

Occupy? If so, how?

I was so impressed with a Facebook page for an OWScraft group shortly after the beginning of theoccupation. And I had briefly spoken to a group ofthree knitters stationed at Zuccotti before the raid.I think it says a lot about how people can use theirstrengths and interests to contribute to the movement.I saw craft all over Zuccotti, actually. Fromhandmade signs to a handmade Statue of Liberty. Theethics of craft hold many of the values I see in

Occupy Wall Street - the use of ethically-producedand repurposed materials, the value placed on processand the connection with the community.

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What is it about quilting that made this the

best outlet for the group discussions?

Quilts are a true metaphor for different partsworking together to make a whole. My mom and I madetwo quilts together before I left for college. Icherish that time we spent together-sewing throughthe huge transition for both of us. And just thisweekend without any planning, we began to mend one

of the torn quilts over a conversation about what wecan do to be better for each other.

Quilting works for long, group discussions becauseits hard to stop working. Hours can fly by withoutnotice. Quilting and embroidery are activities thatare associated with flow, a soothing state ofmotivated focus. It makes sense that ideas andmeaningful conversations naturally develop in thisstate.

If you havent been able to try this projectyet - what are your expectations? What do you

want to achieve through this project?

I want to promote the idea that each person canshare a meaningful viewpoint about our country, andthat it has a place in the bigger picture. We allmatter and have something to say. I hope to bringpeople together who can help one another articulategrievances with, and hopes for our country. Letsmake a quilt that represents many ideas thatmotivate positive actions and changes.

Although this project was conceived prior toOccupy - how do you think your project fits inwith the movement? How would you like to

incorporate your project with the movement?

The more I read and learn about the movement, themore I think that this project is a part of it.People are working together to make something largerout of seemingly disparate parts. Its abouttalking with people and figuring out how we,together, can control the bigger picture. Sometimes

I read about whats going on with the movement andfeel so proud, and other times I disagree. But,

The first knit-in was held on November 26 and therehave been three more held since. The knit-ins have beensuccessful at attracting more people to the protest. Atone knit-in a woman named Jennifer told Ventura thatshe had been angry for so long about so many thingsthat have been happening, but she didnt know what todo about it until she saw the Knit-In at the Sit-Inflier. According to Ventura, Jennifer said that the

knit-ins have

given her a way toparticipate. Shehas attendedseveral of theknit-ins and hasbeen helpful inteaching others toknit and crochet.A few participantswho could notattend the knit-inshave sent packages

with clothing theyve knitted. One woman knitted a bagfull of hats, 10 or 12 things, each with a noteattached, Ventura said with excitement.

She has been overwhelmed with peoples involvement inthe knit-ins and the way that its brought people to-gether. Although knitting has an antiquated associationas womans work, Ventura has been happy to find thatmen have been just as involved as women. Not only does

Venturas two sons come to knit, we had all these guysshow up, five guys knitted the first week, its beenso great. She plans to send the knitted items theyvecollected so far to the Occupy movement in New YorkCity and to Occupy Manitoba. Globally, Ventura plans tosend items to Cairo and to Fukashima, Japan. [At Occu-py Berkeley] we can go to the 99 cent store if we needa hat you can knit for yourself if you want to, butits really about reaching out, knitting a web aroundthe world. Ventura hopes that the packages will liftup the spirits of the recipients and sees the knit-inproject as a little gesture that will create ripples.

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An interview with Jessica ClarkStitch America Together is an embroidery and quiltingcommunity art project about how daily choices and ac-tions can make a difference in our country.Website: http://stitchamericatogether.blogspot.com

First off, you recently attended a Craft-In at

Parsons. What was it like?

The Craft-in at Parsons was in the lobby. Students andfaculty had donated warm clothes for the occupiers.There were about ten people sewing when I got there.I was told by the organizer to mend or add some loveto the clothes. People were reinforcing elbows, or add-ing a hand warmer to the belly of a sweater. I chose toadd decorative patches and embroidery to a sweater. Thegirl who sat across from me created a long, wizard-likesweater coat with generous sleeves. It said OccupyYour Heart on the back. She and I talked about OWS and

shared what inspired us about the movement. Overall, itwas a relaxing, welcoming atmosphere, and nice to bemake something in the presence of people in support ofthe same cause. I found that the activity promptedconversation-from the participants and observers.I felt that was key to my project as well.

What was your inspiration for the project? On yoursite you mention the 2008 election and the pres-ence of community and conversation in traditional

quilting bees - could you tell me more?

I suppose the whole Hope and Change campaign re-ally worked for me. Or perhaps it was witnessing thereaction by our citizens to the Obama campaign. I was

teaching a high school graphic design class, and thestudents were designing campaign materials. Thestudents were so excited about Obama, none of themchose McCain. I think their interest inspired me asmuch, or more than the actual campaign. When I wasyounger, I felt like politics and our countrys issueswere too big and bad for me to care to understand, talkabout or even form opinions about. Its overwhelmingand frustrating to think that there is nothing that canbe done to affect the big picture. Its hard to know

who to believe or who is really controlling this world.I still partially feel that way, but the events in 2008inspired me to want to talk and learn more about what Icould do to contribute to my community and country.

I saw a documentary about the quilts of MississippiCultural Crossroads, a community arts center wherequilters create and sell their quilts. The group ismade up of women of different cultures in Mississippi,where racial and cultural tension runs high. Quiltingis a way for them to unite in spite of, or because of

differences. They get together to chat and sew, whilepreserving the tradition of quilting in the process.

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Counter Craft - Issue 1 - Printable Booklet

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Transcript of Counter Craft - Issue 1 - Printable Booklet