25 October 2013

"Consider the differences between a machine and a human being." Misao Jo, SAORI Pillar 1

Many years ago, long after I'd figured out that my hands had a "knack" for making and when in the middle of a youthful philosophical journey, I crossed paths with Jacob Bronowski's The Ascent of Man (1975):

"The hand is the cutting edge of the mind. Civilization is not a collection of finished artifacts, it is the elaboration of processes. In the end, the march of man is the refinement of the hand in action."

I was startled by the idea that my constant hand-work - especially the textile hand-work considered merely domestic (as I said, it was some time ago) - might be a pinpoint on the path of human endeavor, not merely my own busying.

And then there was an interim, filled with jobs, family, community, and plenty of making: hand-work, and heart-work. And all the energy and experience of this long interim led to this moment - to the work of creating a shared making-space - to realize that hands are also the cutting edge of the heart.

Ready to Hand: SAORI Philadelphia.

Weaving community together one neighbor at a time.