Beth, I don’t know the answer either. Jurying by actual pieces would
always be best, but not always practical. Can you imagine having to
handle the thousands of pieces that would be submitted to ACC:
Baltimore? And think of the insurance/security issues.
If a design is completely computer generated, is it still a good
design? Of course it is. But if the jury is also considering the
craftsmanship of the piece in their jurying, isn’t it wrong not to
tell them in advance? It IS possible to design work, be juried into a
show, and then hire someone else to make the work. Is that honest?
Perhaps it is. Many of us already hire others to assist us in the
studio. I know of a number of designers who NEVER make their own
work.
Perhaps it is the show that needs to make these distinctions. Is it
the Smithsonian CRAFT Show or the Smithsonian DESIGN Show? Are we
only juried on our designs? Will the ability to work digitally be as
important as flawless fabrication techniques?
The industry jewelry shows, like JCK, do not have problems with
this. Design gets you noticed: craftsmanship keeps you in business
(for the most part). Industrial design shows similarly do not make a
distinction between the designer and the maker. It is Assumed that
the designer did NOT make the object. It is only in the "craft"
category do I see this as an issue. The public assumes that the
designer also is the maker. I think most of the show juries also
think so.
I've been "chewing" on this bone for over a year now. Perhaps it is
the lack of sleep during the Holiday rush that keeps me dwelling on
this. Maybe it is that I have been making tapered bezels in platinum
for Asher cut diamonds for the last two weeks. The problem that I
have is that I can’t seem to take a final position.
Doug