Jorunn Veiteberg

Kunsthøgskolen i Bergen (Bergen National College of the Arts)

Hybrid Practice: A Craft Intervention in a Contemporary Art Arena

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Craft and the White Cube

One of the preconceptions with which craft is encumbered is that it belongs in the domestic rather than the artistic sphere. The establishment of the White Cube further emphasised the distinction between art and everyday life. It represents a sanctuary for fine art and is often referred to as the temple of art. The connotations of something elevated and solemn that follow from the temple metaphor are part of the heritage of modernism that still clings to the walls of most museums and galleries. The home, on the other hand, has been seen as a dangerous arena for art because it is a place where one does not have control over how art is presented. In the home, art is at risk of being trivialised and rendered ‘invisible’. This has led to greater ambivalence vis-à-vis craft in artistic contexts. Traditionally, craft has been produced for use and enjoyment in the private sphere. Even though it is joined nowadays by a great deal of contemporary fine art that also wishes to turn life practices – for instance the act of eating together – into art, this has not necessarily led to greater acceptance of functional craft as an artistic practice. On the other hand, this more socially focused art has influenced the understanding of art. The question ‘what is art?’ is more open today, but the answer is also further from our grasp. The paradox is that the more art tries to go beyond the limits of the institution of art, the more dependent it is on the stamp of approval conferred by exhibiting in the White Cube. Brian O’Doherty has designated the White Cube the most important context for art by far (O’Doherty, 1986). Since it is this kind of arena that makes art into art, it is important for craft artists to gain access to this arena if they are to participate in the discourse on art. It is within the context symbolised by the White Cube that craft can realise its potential as artistic expression.