Process

I have always been a fan of process. I love things that take steps and contain history of how its made. I love looking at sculptures and prints, seeing details that reveal tools, hands and compositions. Growing up my mother and I shared this passion for process and would go around town with sketchbooks in hand trying to figure out how things were made or worked. I so often would fall in love with an object not over its appearance but over the machines that made it.  Much like a glass bottle factory tour from one of my favorite shows of all time "How it's Made".



So when I recently came upon this site Product by Process I got stuck for a long time. It contains some great process videos and they are broken down by material and form along the right side menu.  If you get some time or are curious how something is produced this is a great resource.

One of my favorite experiences recently was through Boris talking about the Invisibility of Pictures exhibition at hanover college.  The video was shot when I was dying of the flu and couldn't make the trip up for the installation.  So Boris talked about my work in the show (thanks again to Boris for all of your work on the show and to Boris and Darrell for making the drive to install).  There is this beautiful moment where Boris says "Daniel's work, for lack of a better description utilizes some mysterious transfers". I just thought that was brilliant. So often as a printmaker you scrutinize over how its made or what process was used.  I loved someone else talking about the work and totally stepping over that land mine of a process conversation.

So in the current world of art and fabrication do you think it matters how it is made?
For years it was a higher value for hand made works. For years it was design. It has always been through the cycle of trend. But does the process matter?