Capturing Craft: Instruction of Instinct through Printed Media
As I was working at UT's academic research library, I came across a peculiar book. The book itself was a collection of recipes from the regional 'Old South', bound in wood boards and leather ties, with copper plated detailing on the cover. Its pages had been artificially aged to look like they were passed down through generations, and the author wrote an introduction to the anthology about how no recipe is truly complete without the proverbial 'secret ingredient' of instinct and practice.
I knew the book was something special within the library's holdings, but I didn't know what to do with it. I started gathering a collection of cookbooks from the library that spanned time and location to see if I could put an exhibit together. The books were wonderful, don't get me wrong, but I felt uninspired to do anything further with them. Instead, what repeatedly caught my attention was their Library of Congress categorization subject heading: Cookery Craft. I thought back to the author's original statement, and additionally began to contemplate the nature of craft. Which brought me to the exhibit that I eventually installed. The idea was to feature books of instruction on traditional arts and crafts based on the five fundamental senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound. The transformation of something into a craft utilizes the same 'secret ingredient' that the recipe book's creator identified. So I reached out to individuals within the university’s community to display personal expressions of their chosen craft alongside a book that, to some extent, taught that practice. I interviewed all of the participants about some of their guiding principles when pursuing the creation of their materials, transcribed their statements, and included a small paragraph with their work in the exhibit.
As a result, the exhibit manifested through the following elements:
Sight: How to Take Good Pictures: A Photo Guide 34th edition by Kodak from the PCL Stacks, with silver gelatin photos by student Linna Dean of UT's School of Information
Smell: Fragrance Chemistry : The Science of the Sense of Smell edited by Ernst T. Theimer from the PCL Chemistry Collection, with happiness potion/infused oils by alumna Cedar Stevens from UT's biological sciences program
Taste: Cookery of the Old South (Translated from Southern Lore) by Kay Burdette from Library Storage, with jarred bolognese sauce by student Eric Xu of UT's biochemistry program
Touch: The Art and Craft of Ceramics by Maria Dolors Ros i Frigola from Library Storage, with wire and textile sculptures by student Kira Slentz of UT's studio art program
Sound: The Collegiate Class Piano Course by Jack P. Swartz from the Fine Arts Library, with lyrics and QR code to official website by alumna of UT's public relations program
You can learn more, see pictures, and read all interviews and text included in the exhibit here through UT's online repository, Texas ScholarWorks.
