Hand Made

Life has its weird symmetries and I experienced one of these the other day. I was on my way home from my first visit to a large store, that shall remain nameless, that deals exclusively in cheap tools from China. My quest had been to purchase a new motor for my air compressor, which they sold at half the price of any other local distributor. I mention that this was my first trip to this establishment not out some superior sense that I don’t buy cheap crap from China - I do and we all do. It was just that since they had opened up their doors a couple of years ago I had yet to step on that hallowed ground. (I also have never been in a Taco Bell, but that is another story.) With my new motor in hand I stepped into my truck and made for the long ride home. As is often the case, my truck radio was tuned to the local NPR station, and This American Life was just starting. This is where the weird symmetry begins.

The program that day was entitled “Mr. Daisy and the Apple Factory”,Mike Daisey was a self-described "worshipper in the cult of Mac." Then he saw some photos from a new iPhone, taken by workers at the factory where it was made. Mike wondered, “Who makes all my crap?” He traveled to China to find out. So you can see the setup. I was about to drive an hour home with my Cheap Chinese crap while listening to the horrors of how my cheap Chinese crap is made.

I think we are all aware of the basic story. Labor is paid pennies on the hour and working conditions are sub standard, and bleak. This story went into a little more depth, and the details are indeed depressing as you think of thirteen-year-old girls spending 12-16 hour days hand polishing iPhone screens with toxic chemicals. But I was able to maintain my distance until almost the end of the story (spoiler alert). Mr. Daisey walks out onto a factory floor with thousands of workers and hears nothing, just complete silence. The workers are not only not allowed to talk to each other, the work is also done largely by hand, thousands of hands working away mostly unaided by machines. Mr. Daisey then makes the comment that in China most of the goods produced are truly “Hand Made.”

Now it hit home. “Hand made” is what I do, and now somehow that simple phrase I use to describe my work was now being used to refer to cheap crap made in factories in China. Somehow I felt like I could no longer use the term “Hand Made.” It had become tainted. I can’t say I know the moral of this story. Did I return my motor? No.  Does it make me think about the objects I use and where they come from? Yes. Draw your own conclusions and let me know what you think.

What's Next

It has been a difficult couple of years for all of us in the design trades, but as you can see from my article on my new studio, economics were not the only factor behind changing studio spaces and downsizing. Yes, paying less in rent will help my chances of surviving the economic down turn, but there is also something to be said for just plain change. Change in my case did not so much mean a definitive change from x to y but more a clearing of the decks to create room for new ideas and new ways of working and a new work space seemed like a great way to start. Change was not so much a plan written in stone but a way to move forward, figuring it out as I go.

So, as I move forward in the new year, my hopes are to get back to my sketch book and do what I love the most - creating funky fun and personal work and continuing to explore the world of functional sculpture and furniture. I also hope to do a better job of promoting my work by doing more shows and having periodic open studio events in the new space. I also still enjoy working with clients to realize their ideas and will continue to do that as those opportunities arise. I will keep people abreast of new works, show dates, and studio events through my blog and periodic newsletters, so stay tuned. First up will be a grand opening and studio sale of older work at bargain basement prices sometime in the beginning of March. I will post the date for that event in mid Febuary.

A New Studio

   One of my first inspirations to become a woodworker came from a picture on the cover of a book. I can no longer recall the title but I do recall the picture, and that image has stayed with me for many years. It was simply a man standing at a workbench, wood shavings at his feet, staring out the window to the surrounding woods. Since my beginnings as a maker of things, I had always hoped that image would one day be me and my studio. The reality of the matter has been far different. For much of the last 20 years I have shared rented studio space in industrial settings where a quiet and contemplative space was hard to come by. This past summer, with my 50th birthday and its accompanying  baggage looming, I felt the need to make some serious changes in my life, including getting out from under the weight of paying rent for a work space that was not my own. So on a shoestring budget from the refinance of the house I share with my partner, Rachel Winters, I moved out of my old rental space and set about building the image on that book cover, though not in the woods but in my tiny backyard in Chatham County. Now five months later it is done, and I cannot say that I so much built it as much as I rode a wave of supportive friends who helped me build it. Most notably Rex McCall of McCall Builders and Paul Kinnaird, both who provided technical expertise, tools and engineering while working countless hours for peanuts and a free lunch, and also to Mel Freedman who helped me schlep heavy machines across my yard, the town, and the state. Also thanks to the many friends that helped me move the old studio, helped get the roof on after I threw my back out or pounded a nail or two. The doors are now open please stop by for a visit.  

New Website Now Live

  After months of trials and tribulations the new website is finally live. As many of you have noticed over the last year the old website had been taken down numerous times by hackers so those events afforded the opportunity to rethink the website and add a little more functionality and a cleaner look. Most notable in new functionality is you can now buy work directly from the website in the "Already Made" section. There is now more information on commissioning work under the "About" menu as well as a section for frequently asked questions which I will be adding to periodically. The blog has been completely redesigned and contact information is located in many places across the site. So please give me your feedback this is still a work in progress tell me what works and what does not what you like and what you don’t and where all the typos and dead links are.