Woodworker's Journal 2009-33-3, страница 30

"Real art must be made by the people and for the people as a happiness for the maker and user."

— William Morris

that era, Stickley accepted no such restriction in the young world of the United States. Unlike, say, Gimson, who worked entirely by hand and refused to design for factory production, Stickley used machinery widely, enabling him to sell at lower cost to a broader range of customers. Very different from the English practitioners who relied on rich patrons. liven so, much labor went into stock selection and handcrafted details. Sadly, the cost of best quality materials, combined with a declining market and the approach of World War I, led to his company's bankruptcy in 1916.

Is There Meaning Now?

Much has changed since the genesis of the Arts and Crafts movement. That change is evident in our workshops. Walls and shelves once full of hand tools now carry predominantly handheld electric and air tools. Stationary tools large and small have proliferated. Round the shop run lines carrying compressed air and waste from machines. The w<x>d rack holds a variety of manufactured sheet materials. Furniture makers of old wouldn't even recognize it as a workshop.

Given such radical change, it's reasonable to ask: does the Arts and Crafts movement have anything to offer today's furniture maker and w<x>dworker?

My answer is a resounding: Yes! The tenets that guided Gimson and the Barnsleys resonate still:

Design, simply expressed, is always going to lake a few words to say, but hours of drawing, mock-ups and rethinking to develop the best solution, which is then subjected lo a rigorous critique.

Using first-rate or "rightful materials" underscores your commitment to the design and the workmanship required to make the piece. Quality material sawn straight-grained from the log will behave better: it will cut and work better on the bench as well as remaining flat; it will show off its grain and color better when it's finished. 1 don't mean wood

that is necessarily exotic or expensive. Whatever the species, the best deal you can get is its top quality material.

The work should be constructed using "rightful" joinery expressed by "rightful" workmanship.

Although my own work involves using CNC industrial machines, 1 am a strong advocate of hand tools, especially so for amateur woodworkers. Using solid wood and hand tools allows for a simpler analysis of process than is possible with a complete reliance on power tools and industrial materials. Furniture of the best quality once was and still can be made using only hand tool methods. Unless handwork is embraced by amateur woodworkers, truly handmade furniture, which means tools skills, sharpening skills and working methods, will disappear like the craft of the wheelwright — and that would be a sad loss indeed.

Design is Key

Finally, some closing and hopefully encouraging thoughts on the critical importance of design. Design, like language, is a learned skill, not a natural gift. The seminal crafters of the Arts and Crafts movement, the men who worked with their own hands, understood that concept and applied effort and determination to all the aspects of their designs. And that is likely the key to the relevance and longevity and the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement. Regardless of the quality of William Morris's philosophical arguments, the primary reason that Arts and Crafts furniture pieces continue to resonate with 21st century consumers, builders and designers is the simplicity and elegance of their

designs, as guided by the three tenets they created. S) _/

Ian Kirby is a wood scientist, designer and master woodworker. In addition to his frequent contributions to Woodworker's Journal, he is the author of many books about woodworking.

Not all Arts & Crafts designs were masterpieces. The inspiration for the underframe of this table was the split handle of an English hayrake. While its form "may have seemed good at the time," the execution of its curves lacked a certain grace.

Woodworker's Journal June 2009 29

photo rrproiiuced with permission of Edward Barnsley Educational Trust