Yeah, I've been a high end cabinetmaker, wood turner, and furniture maker for over 25 years, but I do mediocre work.
That's because 99% of my work is for clients who want simple, down to earth wood projects, with no fluff, no buff, and NO CREATIVITY.
Which means menial, bland, practical, boring, mediocre woodworking.
Now I'm not belittling the client who wants this work (well actually I am) as they are my bread and butter, but what does this tell about our society and its cultural influence? I used to live in France for a few years, and let me tell you about one time I was roaming around Paris looking at doors.
(Wow, in Paris and looking at doors, give him a brain check).
But anyway, I slowly began to notice that these front wooden doors located on shops, apartments, etc.
were not only beat up, old, weathered and the like, but they were incredibly beautiful, with fantastic decor, wood turnings, finials, moldings, French curves, dentals, and carvings.
Were people going by staring at these antique masterpieces of craftsmanship, absolutely not because they were too ordinary, too ubiquitous, you know, it was standard to have these seasoned art works all over the place.
And we all know that when something creative is everywhere, it becomes no big deal.
But if we were to make these doors here in the USA, the three to five thousand dollar price tag per door would stop all except the multi million dollar executive house being built.
Truly creative woodworking has been reduced to less than one tenth of one percent of woodwork done.
We now have massive cabinetmaking companies that allow you to go to Home Depot or the like and sit down with a computer clerk, put the kitchen dimensions on the software, order the cabinets, and have them installed in one week.
Wow, what efficiency! So, when do I get to make a masterpiece? Easy, whenever I want something for my own house.
And don't my friends want my craftsmanship in their homes too, of course, but not if they have to pay for it.
Right, I don't have millionaire friends (oh darn, uh NOT).
But back to the point: our society continues to be impoverished culturally and economically, which leads to carpenters building bland boxes called houses, cabinetmakers build blander boxes called kitchen cabinets, and furniture makers (like me) build simple square or rectangle objects called furniture.
Let's say it out loud: MEDIOCRE.
In the seventies and eighties there began an exodus from the mass produced factory wood products which resulted in the creation of the small time craftsman and craftswoman.
This opportunity increased in scope and practicality until sometime during the first decade of this century.
But now (2010) the ability of the lone craftsman to survive is at its lowest ebb since the revolution of the seventies rose up against mass production.
I constantly shared my shop with fellow woodworkers, but they always fell away as their desire to create unique works of furniture art wasn't matched by available clients necessary to support their business.
Custom woodworking is not necessary for society to continue its existence and growth in the future, but it is an outright assertion of the lack of cultural inspiration that makes us unique, makes our houses different from one another, and makes life interesting.
Has it occurred to you that massive track housing projects (including track Mansions) go against all laws of nature? These large suburban housing developments where each house is only different by which side the garage is located goes against nature's instinct to make our creativity unique and novel.
When I was young, we would go visit our rich aunt in Beverly Hills, but it wasn't her swimming pool that attracted me (yeah, right) but the fact that driving up the streets every house was completely different from the one next to it.
I was amazed at the variety and uniqueness of each home.
This lead me to believe that only the rich could afford one of a kind architecture.
While this is mostly true even today, it doesn't change the fact that humanity enjoys one of a kind creations quite simply because that follows nature's instinct for individuality.
So what am I going to do for my next masterpiece to relieve the incessant call of mediocrity? Well, it's sort like one of those bedroom games you play with the wife.
She dresses up (or not) and plays the role of a new client who wants one fantastic high end solid hardwood hand carved and hand finished armoire, in the Louis Sixteenth French style.
I get the phone call, listen to her request, and this of course gets my heart beating fast, and, and, well, you know the rest: I got the job!
That's because 99% of my work is for clients who want simple, down to earth wood projects, with no fluff, no buff, and NO CREATIVITY.
Which means menial, bland, practical, boring, mediocre woodworking.
Now I'm not belittling the client who wants this work (well actually I am) as they are my bread and butter, but what does this tell about our society and its cultural influence? I used to live in France for a few years, and let me tell you about one time I was roaming around Paris looking at doors.
(Wow, in Paris and looking at doors, give him a brain check).
But anyway, I slowly began to notice that these front wooden doors located on shops, apartments, etc.
were not only beat up, old, weathered and the like, but they were incredibly beautiful, with fantastic decor, wood turnings, finials, moldings, French curves, dentals, and carvings.
Were people going by staring at these antique masterpieces of craftsmanship, absolutely not because they were too ordinary, too ubiquitous, you know, it was standard to have these seasoned art works all over the place.
And we all know that when something creative is everywhere, it becomes no big deal.
But if we were to make these doors here in the USA, the three to five thousand dollar price tag per door would stop all except the multi million dollar executive house being built.
Truly creative woodworking has been reduced to less than one tenth of one percent of woodwork done.
We now have massive cabinetmaking companies that allow you to go to Home Depot or the like and sit down with a computer clerk, put the kitchen dimensions on the software, order the cabinets, and have them installed in one week.
Wow, what efficiency! So, when do I get to make a masterpiece? Easy, whenever I want something for my own house.
And don't my friends want my craftsmanship in their homes too, of course, but not if they have to pay for it.
Right, I don't have millionaire friends (oh darn, uh NOT).
But back to the point: our society continues to be impoverished culturally and economically, which leads to carpenters building bland boxes called houses, cabinetmakers build blander boxes called kitchen cabinets, and furniture makers (like me) build simple square or rectangle objects called furniture.
Let's say it out loud: MEDIOCRE.
In the seventies and eighties there began an exodus from the mass produced factory wood products which resulted in the creation of the small time craftsman and craftswoman.
This opportunity increased in scope and practicality until sometime during the first decade of this century.
But now (2010) the ability of the lone craftsman to survive is at its lowest ebb since the revolution of the seventies rose up against mass production.
I constantly shared my shop with fellow woodworkers, but they always fell away as their desire to create unique works of furniture art wasn't matched by available clients necessary to support their business.
Custom woodworking is not necessary for society to continue its existence and growth in the future, but it is an outright assertion of the lack of cultural inspiration that makes us unique, makes our houses different from one another, and makes life interesting.
Has it occurred to you that massive track housing projects (including track Mansions) go against all laws of nature? These large suburban housing developments where each house is only different by which side the garage is located goes against nature's instinct to make our creativity unique and novel.
When I was young, we would go visit our rich aunt in Beverly Hills, but it wasn't her swimming pool that attracted me (yeah, right) but the fact that driving up the streets every house was completely different from the one next to it.
I was amazed at the variety and uniqueness of each home.
This lead me to believe that only the rich could afford one of a kind architecture.
While this is mostly true even today, it doesn't change the fact that humanity enjoys one of a kind creations quite simply because that follows nature's instinct for individuality.
So what am I going to do for my next masterpiece to relieve the incessant call of mediocrity? Well, it's sort like one of those bedroom games you play with the wife.
She dresses up (or not) and plays the role of a new client who wants one fantastic high end solid hardwood hand carved and hand finished armoire, in the Louis Sixteenth French style.
I get the phone call, listen to her request, and this of course gets my heart beating fast, and, and, well, you know the rest: I got the job!