Handmade vs Limited Production

Molly Hatch mugs from Anthropologie.
I got the green one hanging to the left!

As GLAM (more about what this is in a minute) approaches and the sense of urgency requires participants to create with a production-style mentality, I find myself thinking about the balance between mass production and handmade objects. Oddly enough, last week I recieved an early birthday present that seemed to crystalize the argument. The present was a mug from Anthropologie designed by Molly Hatch. Who, in case you don't know, is pretty awesome. I mean talk about dream job! This cup represents a huge achievement for her and a rather distant feeling goal for me, not totally out of reach but very very far away......I realized that my admiration for her accomplishment also meant something about me and my relationship to mass production. I think that it is a complicated thing to navigate for artists. I want my designs to be recognized and admired, I want to be able to support myself through my work, but I also feel that making things in huge quantities lowers the value of the work overall. So now I find myself wondering if I still truly feel that making things en masse, and the financial benefits that it would bring, would make my work any less personal or significant to me. And if it doesn't change anything to me, do I even care if it makes it less valuable to the art world at large?  As I sit here holding this object that has startled my world view into re-visioning itself, it doesn't really seem all that bad. Maybe mass production on a limited scale is alright. I mean who doesn't like thinking that something they designed is in thousands of homes throughout out the world, I think that's pretty cool.

And back to GLAM, which is Gainesville's local indie artist's market. Held once a year before the holidays. This year it is December 4th (also, my birthday!) 12pm-5pm. Check out their website here.