This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Feb. 25, 2010 - If you pay attention to recent developments in contemporary art, you know that the hottest thing going is technically not art, but craft--artists who explore distinctions between art and craft, or reclaim craft as a radical, subversive art practice.
The current craft revival in art tends to take one of two forms: ironic mash-ups of cultural codes (knitted cozies for hand-grenades, for example) or a straight-up embrace of craft for its authenticity, warmth and expression (in contrast to high art's cool conceptualism).
"Fuzzy Logic" at the Des Lee Gallery brings together both kinds of practice, in a rich exhibit that serves as a barometer of the current state of craft-art production. Curated by Audrey Mast, the show features nine artists, only one of whom is local (Gina T. Alvarez), but all of whom approach the idea of craft-in-art in refreshing, honest, smart -- not smart-ass -- ways.
Among the finest are Orly Genger's video "Mr. Softy" (2005), which shows the artist exerting Sisyphean effort to drag about an enormous, lawn-sized afghan crocheted from rock-climbing rope.
Mike Andrews' wall hangings are purposefully poorly done, using cheap yarn and kitschy stitches; they're heartbreaking in their straightforward, clumsy efforts to please.
The most poetic work belongs to Alvarez, who tucks fragile creations of cheap fabric and paper under bell jars, transforming them into precious objects of desire.
Ivy Cooper, a professor of art at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, is the Beacon's art critic.