Page 213 - Constructing Craft

outside the control of those who made the changes’ and were largely motivated by

politicians and economic theorists who believed that government involvement in the
economy should be reduced. Real per capita gross domestic product (real GDP),

one measure of economic performance, over the long term, maintained an upward
trend throughout both periods. However, between 1987/88 and 1993/94 the New

Zealand economy experienced a dramatic downturn and only returned to its normal
trajectory in 1996/97. ‘Economic necessity’, sometimes termed ‘TINA (“There Is No

Alternative”)’ and often cited by politicians as the reason for the policies, was not an

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automatic panacea for New Zealand’s economic problems.

Graph: Gross domestic product (GDP) estimates the total value of goods and
services produced. Real per capita gross domestic product (real GDP) excludes
inflation and population growth. The graph is a guide to how a country's average
standard of living changes over time. Paul Dalziel and Ralph Lattimore, eds, The
New Zealand Macroeconomy: A Briefing on the Reforms and Their Legacy, 4th edn,
Melbourne, 2001.

As import restrictions were lifted many craftspeople found they were competing with
imported work produced in low-waged economies. At the same time, a new group of

wealthy individuals and businesses emerged who looked to art (and craft art) both
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as an investment and to publicize their new economic position. The changes
forced, or encouraged, some craftspeople to look to new ways of employing their
skills. The economist, Brian Easton, explained the relationship between the more

difficult economic environment, as measured by the increasing level of

Constructing Craft