Exhibition Statement
“Revolution”, from the Latin revolutio meaning “a turn around”, has a variety of meanings. It can mean that an object is revolving, in orbit or in a circular course, around an axis or centre. It can be the time taken for the single completion of an orbit of rotation. It can refer to a cyclic recurrence. It can also mean a complete change or great reversal of conditions, a turning upside down, a fundamental reconstruction. Finally, it can also mean the forcible action by a nation to substitute a new ruler or system of government.
Revolution is not new to craft. Revolution is a fundamental part of many craft practices — think of the potter’s wheel, the woodturner’s lathe, a spinning wheel — so many tools and techniques involve revolution. Also consider the Industrial Revolution, when machines took over the manufacture of much of what previously had been hand produced. The new steam-powered machines resulted in faster and cheaper production, but often with greatly inferior results. The critical eye of the maker was sacrificed for speed. The worker now served the machine, allowing it to determine the final product instead of the reverse. Out of the Industrial Revolution was spawned the Arts & Crafts Movement which reacted to mass production, the low quality of design, and the demeaning conditions under which workers labored.
In 2018, Craft Nova Scotia is challenging our members to create works exploring the concept and meaning of “revolution”.
