Art as a sign of society's degradation... In cleaning my office, I ran across a photo copy of pages from the Unknown Craftsman by Muneyoshi Yanagi that John Lavine, editor of Woodwork had shared with me a few years ago at Furniture society. John's interest was in discussing Yanagi's view of the role of the craftsman in the future and his or her responsibilities to society.

Interpreting the words of Laotze, the world needs an artist lest darkness prevail. The one who brings the light into a degenerated age is the artist and as he does so he performs a mission. But the world that does not require the special individual artist is a wonderful world--a world where the genius is merely a common individual. I think such a world is a place of the greatest virtue--nor is it only a dream. Let us take the beauty of Sung pottery for example. The Sung wares were not made by a few distinguished geniuses. All pottery of the Sung age was made by unknown artisans. Not any of this pottery was made by an individual artist as in these days. Everyone made wonderful pottery--genius was found everywhere... It is very significant that many progressive pottery craftsmen at the present time consider the Sung wares as their models. But these modern craftsmen must endure many difficulties, while it was easy for the old Sung craftsmen to produce such wonderful work. What is the reason? the reason is that no individual artist today is living in his proper environment. When tradition has decayed, only the genius is left at work. This is not a fortunate condition at all.

Once tradition has died out, it is necessary for individual artists to work in place of the tradition. Their purpose, however, must not be to work for themselves, or by themselves, but to prepare the way to make a new tradition. For that reason, it is desirable that they have a strong social consciousness. Otherwise, society around them is not helped, even though they attain a personal salvation. Without social salvation the kingdom of crafts shall not prosper. The difference between the mission of a pure artist and that of a craftsman will always focus around this point. Of the former it will be said that he goes his own way, while of the latter that he readily goes together with society.

We will know when our society is restored to health by a resurgence of craftsmanship, supplanting and transcending the arts... when the beauty of useful form takes precedence over empty experimentation of concept and the artist's struggle to gain attention and notoriety.