Page 156 - Constructing Craft

Craft Council of New Zealand Dunedin gallery. Margery Blackman, Anthony
Williams and Danny Moorhead select pottery by Ross Richards. Photo: New Zealand
Crafts.

The 1980s was a confusing time for anyone attempting to describe themselves as a

‘professional’ in the crafts. Being able to earn a living through the sale of work in
prestigious dealer galleries was a rarity usually associated with being an artist –

which of course was the aim of many of the new graduates.

A Three-Tier Structure

The difficulties that the CCNZ found itself in during the late 1980s and its demise in
1992 were, in part, caused by the alienation of amateurs. But the divisions that

began to develop between the professionals who were defined as such by the
quality of their work and those who defined themselves exclusively on economic

grounds also played a part. Essentially, a three-tier system had developed.

Amateurs were those who saw themselves as novices in their craft and generally
did not depend on craft for a living. But amongst the professionals a much more

confused environment had evolved. One could be an economic amateur and also a
craft professional based on the standard of the work produced. One could be a

professional but receive much, or all, income from grants or teaching. And of
course, one could be a professional because the income earned came through the

sale of craft – no matter how ‘amateurish’ the work might appear to others. In a

case in point, tutors attending a National Evaluation of Craft Education Discussion

Constructing Craft