Craftsmanship versus technology today

Since ancient times we have had the idea that Craftsmanship and Technology live in almost opposite worlds. Both respond to very different concepts and we all have in mind concepts that are quickly associated to both.

Craftsmanship versus technology

Craftsmanship, on the other hand, evokes the flavor of past times, of work well done, of techniques that survive thanks to the work of a few. Technology on the other hand suggests progress, vertigo, modernity and also depersonalization. But we also associate the latter to a more current concept, of what should be today.

The same is true for textiles today.

In the world of textile crafts, we still work with handlooms, which evoke memories of a past that we believe to be distant. Our looms, which remind people of a grandmother or relative who wove a short time ago. Everyone keeps some object made by them to which they give more or less value.

And it is that the Textile Craftshas within its functions an anthropological task of collecting techniques, objects and uses that tend to be lost. The old quilts that were used as a dowry, no more than a hundred years ago, and also as a sample of the good work of many craftswomen.

Most of the everyday objects were handmade and were made in the same way as thousands of years ago in the area, with love and a lot of technique. Baskets, wool blankets, tools, crockery, cups, sheets and even clothes were made by master craftsmen who received the know-how of all these things from past generations.

It is for this reason that great Haute Couture Fashion houses, get an intangible heritage, which is worth a future, craftsmen's workshops, tools, and knowledge become the granary of knowledge of these firms.

There is a world of new materials that Craftsmanship can incorporate and others that collaborate in research.

It is technology, or in this case the industrial revolution that condemns craftsmanship to be a residue or a souvenir of an era, and it becomes obsolete and old, almost from ancient times. It is true that it is also technology that facilitates many processes and many jobs that used to be tedious and difficult or polluting.

So today we can find processes such as dyeing. Thanks to the latest technology it can be done with carbon and with minimal waste to the environment. It is in this sense where technology has come to improve processes that were done in the past but with inhumane conditions that should be improved.

It is the textile where today technology is bringing new perspectives of fabrics that have properties almost à la carte. And so while an artisan linen fabric is thermoregulating, natural and fresh. We can obtain almost the same effects with technological fabrics made with materials or nanoparticles that were not originally conceived for fabrics.

This is how technical or technological fabrics are born. On the other hand, the incorporation of new materials such as LED or fiber optics, or treatments and coating with chemical substances make the new generation of fabrics seem almost like peering into the abyss of the future.

But it is true that if we look at all these technological fabrics, they have a reticular aspect, as if they were Mayan, they are flat, single-colored and cold, what the industry usually calls non-woven fabrics. And I believe that it is in this aspect where craftsmanship can contribute more.

Perhaps the fusion of both worlds is the answer, the hands that work the Crafts are directly communicated with the brain, and therefore with the soul. The warmth of these hands is what gives life to objects, making them unique. And in today's world we all seek to be unique, to enjoy enriching experiences and that is where I believe that craftsmanship can contribute the most.

On the other hand, craftsmanship must preserve those ancient processes of work and good workmanship, but it must also evolve. For example, the cloths of the Middle Ages are no longer made today. And although there are textile pieces that are lost as well as the processes, I believe that artisans must incorporate new materials, improve their techniques and bring to the technological world the humanization of the product.

In the world of fashion, the recent exhibition at the MOMA "Manus and Machina" highlights this duality with garments that have been made with artisanal techniques and garments where technology dominates the entire process.

But it is also in this world of fashion where the understanding and coexistence between the most precise craftsmanship and the most advanced technology is most evident. Laser cutting and 3D printing are complemented by embroidery, beading and custom tailoring.

In this article of ITFASHION.COM you will be able to deepen as in the world of fashion and textile, technological progress is unstoppable.

CRAFTSMANSHIP MUST ALSO BE PRESENT AND CONTRIBUTE ITS KNOW-HOW.