In 2006, artist, author, and musician Faythe Levine traveled to 15 cities for her new documentary Handmade Nation to document the stories behind the intricately woven, web-oriented handmade community. Levine spoke with 80 artisans to record their experiences within this interconnected culture:  radical embroiderers like Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching, the guerilla knitters of Knitta, and the conceptual clothing designer Stephanie Syjuco of Anti-Factory all shared their stories about how they came to craft, what craft means for them, and where they think craft is headed in the future.

Inside the World of Handmade

The documentary provides an insider-perspective of the whimsical creations of these quirky artists in their inner-sanctum studios and cheerfully-crowded craft fairs.  The film is a must see for every self-defined crafter, artist, designer, DIY—really anyone—interested in the overarching craft community. Although not a popcorn-and-date movie, Handmade Nation is entertaining in its own right due to the stories that are told by the crafters themselves, such as Stephanie Syjuco’s story about the DIY Network asking her to come on a show and talk about her counterfeit crocheted handbag project and how the lawyers were panicking over the legal implications. These stories aren’t present in the book that Levine co-authored with Cortney Heimerl; these are stories that came out directly from the crafters as they chatted with their interviewer. Although Levine never appears on camera, each of the interviews with Levine’s wide assortment of crafters are framed by statements from curator Yoko Ott, American Craft’s Andrew Wagner, and KnitKnit’s Sabrina Gschwandtner on the history of what craft meant, as well as its future.

Craft is Powerful. Craft is Personal. Craft is Political. Craft is Possible.

Interestingly, many of the makers that Levine interviewed were originally fine artists. While this may seem strange considering the oppositional stance of “high art” against “lowly” craft, the shift from fine art-making to crafting is a logical one for many of these makers who want to make usable items that remain meaningful, which was a concern expressed by nearly every crafter interviewed. These crafters appropriate the cultural traditions of art and subvert them into craft to create a punk-oriented aesthetic that embraces both traditional and non-traditional mediums and approaches. Although these crafters are creating and participating in communities that are concerned with locally produced goods, sustainability, and the promotion of their fellow makers, they are also concerned that the people purchasing their work do so because it speaks to them. While this is part of their anti-consumerism ethos, it has just as much to do with the idea of the singular, individual object, is a way to have a bit of beauty for oneself, and ultimately becomes about the creation and ownership of unique objects. This idea of unique objects pervades Handmade Nation as well as speaks to how the current generation of makers thinks.

Sustainability in Craft

Throughout the documentary, certain words are repeated: thrift store, vintage, and repurposed. The idea of sustainability inundates the handmade scene. Makers are using the old, the unwanted, and the imperfect to create new, beautiful objects to be consumed in the micro-economies of the craft community. Through consumption oriented towards the individual maker rather than a large, faceless corporation, makers find a place to make a stance against the economic issues that continue to reappear in our culture while making a living at the same time. Although these concerns are refreshing to witness in a capitalistic society, there are issues in the portrayal of the handmade scene that are so subliminal that they might not have been visible to Levine or the crafters that she interviewed.

Is the Handmade Scene in the U.S. Really Homogenous?

A primary concern is that the handmade scene portrayed in the film is one of sustainability rather than survival. Although craft has become a hobby to many, it really began as a mode of subsistence that is rarely brought up in the documentary and, when it is, there is an elitism attached to it that denigrates the tradition of craft in a historical context--and for those who still make their own clothes or grow their own food because they have to. The exception to this is Yoko Ott who reminds the viewer of the tradition of “women’s work” and how craft has always, and largely still is, the purview of women.

Whether it was intentional or not, Levine's absence from the main text of the documentary means that Handmade Nation seems to reinforce this view, since the vast majority of the crafters interviewed are women and most of these women appear to be white and middle class. Although the lack of men-portrayed-as-crafters is somewhat understandable since this gender paradigm still exists to some extent, the lack of ethnic differentiation and apparent uniformity of class in the American craft scene leaves the documentary on the unbalanced side and may lack relevance for those who do not identify with “white” or “middle class.” With so many cities, so many craft fairs, and so many possible crafters, shouldn't there be more diversity shown? If the diversity isn’t present in the handmade scene, what is the reason?  These are issues that Levine's presence and narration might have remedied.

Handmade Can Change the World

Despite the unsettling portrayal of the handmade scene in the U.S. as a homogenous one, the message that can be take from this film is simple yet powerful one: everyone can make something, and through that, anyone can change the world. There can be change no matter what the person’s occupation, gender, ethnicity, or socio-economic status is, as long as their efforts are backed by conscience.  As makers and consumers, we all have the power to effect that change. It might be in small ways, but it is possible. One of the first steps might be in re-evaluating and re-accessing our notions of who crafts and why they craft.  Whether it is buying a copy of the book, buying from one of the featured artisans, buying from our own local artisans, or seeing Handmade Nation, everyone is sure to come away with renewed hope for the handmade scene and a long list of new makers to enjoy.

Watch the Handmade Nation Documentary

The film is currently screening across the country and abroad, in major cities including Los Angeles, Milwaukee, and Albuquerque. A complete list of upcoming screenings is available at Handmade Nation: News and Events.

The film will also be available on DVD in bookstores everywhere October 24th.

Further Reading

Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft, and Design by Faythe Levine and Cortney Heimerl
Handmade Nation movie
Handmade Nation Blog

Subverting the Paradigm of Art and Craft

Immortalizing Insects: The Art of Silver Casting
There’s One in All of Us: Where the Wild Things Are
 

Faythe Levine Inteview

Just for Fun talks to Faythe Levine about her experience in making the film. Handmade Nation: Q & A with Director Faythe Levine

Photos courtesy of Faythe Levine, Handmade Nation, and Princeton Architectural Press.

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