Comments on: Story Vase http://elledecoration.co.za/2011/04/story-vase/ Up-to-the-minute design news Wed, 22 May 2013 14:58:05 +0000 hourly 1 By: Pablo Issacs http://elledecoration.co.za/2011/04/story-vase/#comment-22057 Pablo Issacs Sun, 01 Apr 2012 03:04:41 +0000 http://elledecoration.co.za/?p=8125#comment-22057 Hi There, I Like Your Site Thanks For Posting. Hi There, I Like Your Site Thanks For Posting.

]]> By: Amy Ellenbogen http://elledecoration.co.za/2011/04/story-vase/#comment-11735 Amy Ellenbogen Wed, 25 May 2011 09:51:19 +0000 http://elledecoration.co.za/?p=8125#comment-11735 Hi there Thank you for contacting us. Do you have website or some pictures that you could email me at blog@elledecomag.co.za Hi there

Thank you for contacting us. Do you have website or some pictures that you could email me at blog@elledecomag.co.za

]]> By: Anna http://elledecoration.co.za/2011/04/story-vase/#comment-11241 Anna Mon, 25 Apr 2011 10:37:39 +0000 http://elledecoration.co.za/?p=8125#comment-11241 Thanks for responding :-) The Swedish designers have no doubt helped economically, I'm sure. (And yah, talking about ugly white people's houses would definitely not be a plan!) But equally, the people in the collective worked hard, and the Swedish designers have a new product, so it's not a one-way 'helper-helped' relationship. For me the crucial question is would they be able to sell these vases without using those terms? If not, why not? And if so, then perhaps we should be applying our skills as innovative, creative designers to rethinking the way we communicate with and represent people who are 'other' or different to ourselves. And yeah, the DTI totally need to pull their fingers out! But I also think there's a role for the dominant design community to push itself to become a more inclusive and accepting place, which doesn't rely on stereotypes and simplistic definitions to understand the majority of our country's people, so that the powerful social networks and informal marketting systems that we rely on can become more available to broader South African society. Just some thoughts :-) Thanks for responding :-) The Swedish designers have no doubt helped economically, I’m sure. (And yah, talking about ugly white people’s houses would definitely not be a plan!) But equally, the people in the collective worked hard, and the Swedish designers have a new product, so it’s not a one-way ‘helper-helped’ relationship. For me the crucial question is would they be able to sell these vases without using those terms? If not, why not? And if so, then perhaps we should be applying our skills as innovative, creative designers to rethinking the way we communicate with and represent people who are ‘other’ or different to ourselves.
And yeah, the DTI totally need to pull their fingers out! But I also think there’s a role for the dominant design community to push itself to become a more inclusive and accepting place, which doesn’t rely on stereotypes and simplistic definitions to understand the majority of our country’s people, so that the powerful social networks and informal marketting systems that we rely on can become more available to broader South African society.
Just some thoughts :-)

]]> By: heather moore http://elledecoration.co.za/2011/04/story-vase/#comment-11240 heather moore Mon, 25 Apr 2011 10:05:58 +0000 http://elledecoration.co.za/?p=8125#comment-11240 Hmm, interesting comment. I think though, that you could probably make a pros and cons list on both sides of the issue - the "strangers" have probably helped the individual economies of those women, and who knows what ongoing benefits will result? Also, this was a commercial project they were working on, so talking about how ugly white people's houses are would be an unlikely selling point for the vases :) What would be really great was if the DTI and the associated craft councils got their acts together and did a lot more representing and supporting and nurturing of local design talent on the basis of how beautiful it is, and how skillfully it is made, rather than always raising the tired, sad sack African issues of HIV, poverty, and so on, as selling points. And you're so right: it really is time the DTI gave serious thought to issues of taxes on things like beads, fabric, etc, and how these impact on our local design industry. Thanks for raising these questions here. Hmm, interesting comment. I think though, that you could probably make a pros and cons list on both sides of the issue – the “strangers” have probably helped the individual economies of those women, and who knows what ongoing benefits will result? Also, this was a commercial project they were working on, so talking about how ugly white people’s houses are would be an unlikely selling point for the vases :)
What would be really great was if the DTI and the associated craft councils got their acts together and did a lot more representing and supporting and nurturing of local design talent on the basis of how beautiful it is, and how skillfully it is made, rather than always raising the tired, sad sack African issues of HIV, poverty, and so on, as selling points. And you’re so right: it really is time the DTI gave serious thought to issues of taxes on things like beads, fabric, etc, and how these impact on our local design industry. Thanks for raising these questions here.

]]> By: Anna http://elledecoration.co.za/2011/04/story-vase/#comment-11239 Anna Mon, 25 Apr 2011 09:17:05 +0000 http://elledecoration.co.za/?p=8125#comment-11239 While I find these absolutely beautiful, I wonder how long it will be before black South African women are represented in the design world without the mandatory words 'HIV, poverty, unemployment, rural' attached to them. Are these genuinely the issues that our fellow citizens wish to speak about in their art, or are they simply saying the words that they know the outside world expects of them? And why is it that they have to open up their souls and talk about their entire lives to strangers, while other artists are allowed to be obtuse and selective in what they disclose about their private lives? What if the participants wanted to talk about police brutality, or their first love, or how irritated they are that the government places a 20% import tax on beads, or how ugly they think white people's houses are? Would we still like the vases? While I find these absolutely beautiful, I wonder how long it will be before black South African women are represented in the design world without the mandatory words ‘HIV, poverty, unemployment, rural’ attached to them. Are these genuinely the issues that our fellow citizens wish to speak about in their art, or are they simply saying the words that they know the outside world expects of them? And why is it that they have to open up their souls and talk about their entire lives to strangers, while other artists are allowed to be obtuse and selective in what they disclose about their private lives? What if the participants wanted to talk about police brutality, or their first love, or how irritated they are that the government places a 20% import tax on beads, or how ugly they think white people’s houses are? Would we still like the vases?

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