Hm.

The elderly women of the Burlington Art Centre are hilarious. They are masters of dry humour, thinly-veiled dirty jokes, thinly-veiled contempt, and a barely perceptible code of winks and nods that can switch the direction of conversation in a flash. They've had a lifetime to hone the perfect piercing glare and cackling laugh. They are fascinating women. 


A very high percentage of the members of both the spinning and weaving, and rug hooking guilds are elderly women. I'm the youngest in the former by at least 45 years, the latter by about 15, but the majority are in their mid 70's to late 80's. That doesn't really matter, I just thought you'd like to hear about these firecrackers. This article is actually about my first Rug Hooking Guild meeting, and some of the ideas it generated.  


During the meeting there was a brief discussion about whether or not work should be judged before being allowed into... something. Craft show or the like. A portion of the guild said yea, the other, nay. Before that though was a lengthy slide show of rugs featured at some large exhibition or tradeshow. 


The slideshow was a mix of all types of hooked delights: exquisite oriental-inspired area rugs, smaller wall hangings, and everything from kitchy Santa Clauses to the lady and the unicorn. There was a lot that made me cringe, and there was some that left me with mouth agape. The ladies of the room were all commenting on which ones they liked and didn't, and talked about technique to the newcomers (I wasn't the only one!).


In this guild, participation and community trumps aesthetic perfection. They're all perfectly great hookers, but the range in taste and ability to design is staggering. I'm torn: obviously I'm not going to say a generic row of cottages is great (unless we're talking technique, or colour choice, or something other than subject matter), but how can I bitch someone out for making a ghastly homage to their beloved golden lab when I know that rug hooking is this person's creative outlet? 


There's something very honest about the way craftspeople treat each other, here at least. They are people, getting together and sharing technique and ideas and support, who do not judge harshly what doesn't need to be judged. I struggle with that, forgetting all too often that not everyone studied colour theory or design or art history or even took a drawing class in school. I definitely grimaced at most of the rugs I saw tonight. Some people just have profoundly terrible taste. But as a fellow craftswoman and guild member, I need to support their endeavours and be happy that they've found something they love to do. 


Humbling oneself and shushing the internal design critic is tough. It actually makes me feel like I'm going crazy and I hate doing it. Certainly there are situations where thoughtful criticism is appropriate, but it can't be let loose all of the time, not in a guild where intense workshopping isn't the mandate, not when you're coming to a guild and asking for guidance and support. 


A friend of mine said something along the lines of, "I don't care what the hell they're making. They're doing something new and expressive and that's great." and it seems those words are true.