Comment By John Bentley Mays's The Educated Eye And The Intimate Hand

The Educated Eye and the Intimate Hand
A Review of Comment by John Bentley Mays

Is craft art? This question, a hot topic of debate amongst artists, art critics and craftspeople of the twentieth century, seems to have been born of the many complex societal changes that took place over the course of the Modern Era. logically, it would only be possible to effectively deliberate over this discussion by first defining art itself. This, however, proves to be just as difficult a task as settling the art-craft controversy in the first place and together, these quarrels revolve in a seemingly endless dance of passionate indignation. Fortunately, it does seem possible to comprehensively define craft. Brazilian art and design historian, Rafael Cardoso,

Mays claims that Modern Art’s very philosophy is based on freedom from tradition and the removal of the artist’s hand and therefore immediately disqualifies the crafts with their antiquated, ideals. He equates art--the educated eye, with intellect and craft--the intimate hand, with popular culture. In other words, artists can make well crafted work on the condition that they don’t enjoy themselves too much and craftspeople are tolerable so long as they stay out of Modern Art’s intellectual domain. Believing the craft community to be lacking the necessary ingredients for intellectual prowess, Mays also blames craft critics as well as the community at large for being too friendly and and encouraging

His reasoning is largely sound except in his hypocritical declaration of craft’s “complicity with [the] anti-Modern forces [of aristocratic privilege]” which he insists Modern Art nobly opposes. From a critical standpoint, Mays’ views fit entirely within the alienating nature of Modernism and are at odds with the concerns of the craft community of the time. His methodology is elitist and oppressive and his musing on craftspeople with respect to their wheels and looms feels alarmingly disdainful and reminiscent of a misogynist’s attitude towards women. His point of view, though a little dated by today’s standards, was definitely relevant and probably somewhat true when this article was written and currently helps to demonstrate how these issues have evolved into the twenty first century. In his aforementioned essay, rafael Cardoso explains that art and craft, artist and artisan, were once one and the same prior to their split with the elevation of Fine Art during the Renaissance. The twenty first century has seen a shift in the art-craft discussion and this may indicate a gradual return to balance between their opposing