without missing a beat, moves forward:
“Well, this is what it is about, isn’t it? Who are we as a people, who are we as artists?”
It gives us an opening: “So, Kate, are you an artist or a maker? What truly is the difference between art and craft?”
"Well, that is an interesting question. It was not until recently that I thought of myself as an artist."
“What changed?”
"I think it was when I created a pumpkin that did not involve a lid or serve as a piece with implied utility. It was an object in-and-of-itself."
“Okay, that’s interesting as it brings us to a question we often ask of other artists: Do objects have souls? Do your pieces have a soul?”
"I have to think about that for a minute. What do you mean by ‘soul’?"
“It is a being, an actual living thing. Some Japanese, for example, believe that objects that have had a place in a home for some time take on being, become a living thing possessing a soul.”
"Well, I do believe some objects have souls. I believe Van Gogh paintings, for example, have a soul."
"How so? How does that come about? Where does it come from? “
"I believe souls emerge from their owner and their home environment."
“So, you don’t see that immediately through your creation when they are created. Souls aren’t an inherent part of the object as they are not yet or have not yet become subjects?”
"I must admit. I don’t talk to my creations until they find a home."
“What do you mean? You don’t talk to them while you are making them?”
"No, I don’t. I am too busy making them and working to find them homes. It is not until I walk into a gallery or see a piece in a home that I actually speak to them. It is only then that I say ‘hello,’ I remember you. How nice to see you."
“Returning to our earlier discussion, would your objects possess dignity? And if so, is it something they possess inherently, or is it as it is with souls: that they come to possess it through other means?” Given our conversation, it seems your understanding of dignity would be similar in kind to the process of creating a pot. You mentioned how you are 'always excited and then fascinated about holding a piece of clay and thinking about what will emerge from it.' This suggests the object emerges from the clay and is not imposed upon it. And that would suggest dignity is something inherent, of an essential nature, that needs time and guidance to emerge. It needs an external agent – a god, another person, an event – to give shape and form to its definitional identity"
"I think that is a good way to look at it."
We could have continued talking with Kate for hours, enjoying both her answers and her hospitality. But she had a meeting and we had taken up too much of her time already. So there was just enough time for a few more questions while clearing the table.
"In thinking back across our conversation, what do you now think about the relationship between art and craft?"
"I think craft provides people with an easier way into art, as it is much easier to have a conversation about craft than about fine art."
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