Handmade Art

Two years ago, my mother gave me a mug as a gift. She had spent hours the day before in a local store examining the hundreds of handmade mugs. As my mom gave me the mug she had chosen, she explained to me that she had picked up almost every mug is the pottery store and held them, judging them on their weight, texture, handle size, and how easily they conformed to her hands. Her countless hours of searching led to me receiving a mug that remains my favorite to this day. I love it because I can grasp it firmly with both hands, but the handle is big enough to hold in one. Visually, the mug is far from perfect. One side caves in a bit, clearly conforming to the shape of the potter’s hands. There is a bump in one side where the artist began to put a handle, then thought otherwise and decided to move it. However, this is precisely why I love the mug. Its odd shape makes it easier to hold, and the bump on the side reminds me of how much thought the potter put into making the mug.

            Humans tend to regard handmade items as more valuable, as if an artist’s touch automatically makes it better. We seek out handmade items over those mass produced by machines. Countless foods brag that they are “homemade”. People flock to art museums to see the work of art actually done by the artist’s hands, instead of looking at a picture online. Common hobbies include cooking, baking, drawing, painting, crocheting, and carpentry, all activities done by hand. Even in the eighteenth and nineteenth century, as pointed out by Constance Classen in the book The Deepest Sense: A Cultural History of Touch, sewing, painting, beadwork, and paperwork were all done as both hobbies. Touch is seen as a way of connecting to others; most people greet through some means of touch- kissing, hugging, or shaking hands. Love and trust are also demonstrated through touch. By creating artwork, and household items in general, by hand, the amount of care and caution associated with touch becomes seen through the work.