Browsing by Subject "Craft"
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Item Crafting a definition : a case study of the presentation of craft at the Renwick Gallery(2011-12) Noyes, Chandra; Bolin, Paul Erik, 1954-; Mayer, Melinda M.This report is a case study of the presentation of craft at the Renwick Gallery, the craft museum of the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM). The Renwick, founded in 1976, is a curatorial department of SAAM, focusing in modern and contemporary American craft. Through an examination of the museum’s galleries and exhibitions, interviews with staff, and an analysis of educational programming, this thesis explores how the Renwick defines craft implicitly and explicitly. Giving a context for this study is a history of the Renwick Gallery, as well as history of craft and its definitions. With these histories as background, the ways that the Renwick, and thus its visitors, understand craft is explored. The qualities specific to craft in the literature and manifest at the Renwick are examined in order to determine how they influence the presentation of craft at the Renwick.Item Crafting digital cinema : cinematographers in contemporary Hollywood(2011-08) Lucas, Robert Christopher; Schatz, Thomas, 1948-; Strover, Sharon; Schiesari, Nancy; Hunt, Bruce; Hay, JamesIn the late 1990s, motion picture and television production began a process of rapid digitalization with profound implications for cinematographers in Hollywood, as new tools for “digital cinematography” became part of the traditional production process. This transition came in three waves, starting with a post-production technique, the digital intermediate, then the use of high-definition video and digital production cameras, and finally digital exhibition. This dissertation shows how cinematographers responded to the technical and aesthetic challenges presented by digital production tools as they replaced elements of the film-based, photochemical workflow. Using trade publications, mainstream press sources, and in-depth interviews with cinematographers and filmmakers, I chronicle this transition between 1998 and 2005, analyzing how cinematographers’ responded to and utilized these new digital technologies. I analyze demonstration texts, promotional videos, and feature films, including Pleasantville, O Brother Where Art Thou, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, The Anniversary Party, Personal Velocity, and Collateral, all of which played a role in establishing a discourse and practice of digital cinematography among cinematographers, producers and directors. The challenges presented by new collaborators such as the colorist and digital imaging technician are also examined. I discuss cinematographers’ work with standards-setting groups such as the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the studio consortium Digital Cinema Initiatives, describing it as an effort to protect “film-look” and establish look-management as a prominent feature of their craft practice. In an era when digitalization has made motion pictures more malleable and mobile than ever before, this study shows how cinematographers attempted to preserve their historical, craft-based sense of masterful cinematography and a structure of authority that privileges the cinematographer as “guardian of the image."Item Data visualization as craft(2011-05) Rowe, Cathryn Elaine; Shields, David, M.F.A.; Hall, Peter, 1965-For my MFA, I have decided to explore data visualization not as an automated technology but as a craft—a systematic and precise practice done entirely by hand. Though the craft-based approach is not appropriate for all types of data creation and visualization, as an investigatory tool it grants a level of access and intimacy lacking in computerized analyses. I discuss the limitations and benefits of this type of approach, as well as provide an overview of key influences and precedents. I have also included select projects developed over the course of my studies that highlight my use of data visualization for a range of subjects and intents, including reading piano sheet music more easily and investigating a photographer’s compositional process. The report concludes by projecting how this craft-based approach for data visualization may be integrated with an automated method.Item Design and the qualities of craft(2012-05) Culpepper, Lindsey L.; Catterall, Kate; Lee, GloriaDuring my research, I’ve studied craft through various lenses as a way to explore the realm of meaningful experiences within material culture. It is through an understanding of materials and process, through craft, that we may appreciate the value and impact of our material culture. By considering both the object and the systems it exists in, I have clarified my understanding of sustainable material culture. My explorations with reuse materials culminate in utilizing standardized, industrially manufactured parts, which can be found in multiples, to facilitate small batch production of crafted items. These explorations are not about the singular crafted object, but multiple crafted products. Craft, unlike conventional industrial design, accommodates a conversation between material, maker and methods. An understanding of both practical conventions and experimental methods paired with an appreciation for materials and technique, craft is the foundation for thoughtful making. The convergence of design and craft is rich territory for developing sensible and purposeful objects that are truthful and valuable.Item Learning through making : a study in craft education at the John C. Campbell Folk School(2013-08) Burke, Margaret Taylor; Bolin, Paul Erik, 1954-The purpose of this study was to investigate why adult students engage in arts learning and what they gain from that experience. Specifically, this research combined case study and narrative inquiry methods to produce a richly textured understanding of the John C. Campbell Folk School and the experiences had by students, instructors, and staff at the school. Due to the unique nature of a rural, interdisciplinary folk arts school, a survey of the Folk School’s history and educational philosophies was conducted to provide a framework for understanding the school’s specific environment. Through informal narrative interviews with students, instructors, and staff, individual accounts of the Folk School experience were established. By identifying what drives enrollment and outcomes of attendance, this study draws conclusions about what individuals seek through informal arts learning. The findings of this study indicate consistent motivations for initial enrollment at the school, but a broad range of reasons for re-enrollment. The reported outcomes were strongly related to personal development, enjoyment, and relationships built at the school. Based on the findings of this study, key components of informal, adult arts learning were identified that can inform other schools and institutions as they promote adult programs.Item A manifesto on making : the knowledge built building a chair(2014-12) Visotzky, Leora Simcha; Siddiqui, Igor; Maček, MarkCraft is the unification of the work of the hand and the work of the mind through material to produce an object with meaning. A craftsman is he or she who engages in the process of making with conscious intent and engagement with material and a broader scope of people and nature. Today, advances in mechanization and industry have allowed us to embrace a passivity that leaves us disconnected from the world and other people. We can look to craft, particularly with wood, as an antidote for this loss of connection. Through material specificity, the way handwork can offer the maker meaning about the place of the self in the world, and the way in which it illuminates the greater network of people, objects, and nature in which the maker exists, craft is a vehicle by which to produce knowledge otherwise unavailable through today’s methods of production and consumption. Through a personal account of the process of making a rocking chair out of wood and an examination of past and current scholarship surrounding craft and ontological aspects of identity, perception, and experience, the following examination, in conjunction with the actual process of making, aims to create a place for dialogue in the space between aesthetic philosophy and craft, creating a new paradigm for the role and definition of hand work today. It is an inquiry into the relationship between making and the production of knowledge.Item Playing with masks : an exploration of craft and performance(2014-05) Kurz, Danielle Haskell; Glavan, JamesCollaboration between the playwright, director, designer and technicians is the backbone of theater. Costume designers, after discussion with the director and the other designers, rely on costume technicians to realize their ideas. The technician’s hands then realize the artistic vision. But what would the technicians try if there were no constraints? I am a technician, a craftsperson who is inspired not just by the play, but also by process, by methods. With every new technique I learn, I imagine the new ways it could be put to use, and the objects I would create if time and resources were not a factor. Imagined objects are seldom created. Once made, these objects exist without a performance, without a purpose. A costume not worn is an unfulfilled destiny. But maybe the pieces I want to make can be given a narrative after the act of construction, or during construction. I’m interested in exploring my ability to be a generative artist. How can my inspiration feed back into the theater community? Can a costume technician’s experimentation have a place in creating new theater? My thesis has two components, exploring my two interests. Those two interests are the creation of objects and the creation of a story. The first component, object creation, was an exploratory study of mask and headdress making techniques. I experimented with new techniques, such as 3-D printing, testing the limitations of new technology. The second component, story creation, was a collaborative process. My collaborator, Brian Oglesby, and I worked concurrently. Brian is a playwright, and as he wrote the play, I made the objects. Our processes mirrored each other. The narrative of the play incorporated the masks and headpieces I made. This project created a theater piece based on the experimentation of a costume technician, and presents a new way for future technicians to think about their work and to have their stories told.Item The teacher's role in helping students learn about and employ the craft of writing: A case study of two elementary school writing teachers(2006-08) Griffith, Robin R.; Button, Kathryn A.; Johnson, Margaret; Lesley, MellineeWriting is a complex process that requires the divided attention of the writer who must pay attention to the message, the conventions of writing, and the craft of writing. The craft of writing refers to all the subtleties of writing that allow the writing to flow and entice the reader to continue reading. Teaching the craft of writing is difficult and many teachers claim they are uncomfortable teaching the writer’s craft. Some writing experts claim that teachers can help their students learn about the craft of writing by reading and studying the works of other authors. Authors and their pieces of writing can serve as mentors for developing writers. Several studies have documented cases of young writers successfully borrowing from mentor texts, yet very little research exists on the role of the teacher in helping the students learn to borrow from these texts. The purpose of this study was to examine the seemingly critical role of the teacher in helping students learn about and employ the writer’s craft. This study's data set included detailed field notes from seventeen writing workshop lessons from two elementary teachers, one transcribed writing workshop lesson from each teacher, transcripts of the initial and final interviews with each teacher, transcribed interviews of twelve case study students, and various documents. The findings from this research study indicated that teaching the craft of writing is as idiosyncratic as the art of writing itself. The two teachers from this study employed the common tool of children's literature but approached the task of teaching students about the craft of writing in very personal and unique ways. Their personal experiences as writers, their knowledge of writing and their knowledge of children's literature influenced the way in which they taught writing. The approaches were different but it can be argued that both were effective.Item Thinking beyond utility and practicality : art education discussion viewed through the lens of a three-function model(2012-12) Lee, Elizabeth Rachel; Bolin, Paul Erik, 1954-; Mayer, Melinda MThis study was about language. Its purpose was to explore how a specific set of material culture ideas is represented in art education discussion through what is termed in this study “the three-function model.” The model states that all human-made objects, including images, perform multiple roles and/or serve multiple purposes, simultaneously, and without limit. These roles and functions of objects fall into three categories: technological (utilitarian); sociological (communicative); ideological (instructive). Discovering this model inspired two questions: (a) how might the three-function approach to the discussion of objects augment art education’s understanding and practice of Material Culture theory? (b) to what benefit might such an approach be integrated into art education practice? To answer these questions, I designed a two-stage analysis. First, the examination of literature written toward three audience groups (educator-oriented, practitioner-oriented, general audience) in order to identify three types of information (definitions, statements about objects, and statements about function) for the purpose of forming an overall understanding of how cohesive or disparate discussion appears to be within each audience group. Second, cross-analyzing the three information groups for the purpose of understanding the similarities of and differences between the discussions of the three audience groups. The results of this study suggest that the problem of multiple and contrary definitions for shared terminology may be restricted to only two important words: craft and art. Conceptual approaches employed by the writers included anthropological, philosophical, concrete, theoretical, advocate, and analytical. Although all 15 writers acknowledge the social nature of objects, and all employ the term function similarly, there are indeed gaps in art education discussion: social and ideological functions of craft and art objects that go unnoticed, and missed opportunities to explore those connections and their cultural relevance. The three-function model can provide names for the ideas we are talking around, but not quite about.