In an era of constant progress and industrialization of production, it is crucial to preserve handicraft knowledge, because in addition to historical insight into old knowledge, they also bring us the preservation of the most basic technologies that are the foundation of our civilization. They are also the primary contact with nature, its resources and their use for our own purposes. Despite the constant struggle with industrial products, which they cannot compete with in terms of quality and speed of production, handicraft products are in the vast majority of cases of higher quality in terms of shelf life. At the same time, they are incomparably more ecological and sustainable. Through the eye of the camera, I tried to capture some activities where human hands and their skill and knowledge are indispensable and increasingly appreciated.
String making
Making string instruments requires years of research, learning from masters from the city of Cremona and patient manual work. Knowing the materials that are suitable for the correct resonance and their processing is an art in itself. The instruments are unique and each one has its own character, which may or may not resonate with the performer. Master Skaza breathes passion into each of his products, which is appreciated by many musicians. Making a violin can take several months of effort, but they are worth the wait.
Kamnik majolica
Kamnik majolica is a recognizable symbol of the city of Kamnik and, in addition to its commemorative value, also has a purely practical value as a jug for liquids. Their production takes place in several stages, such as pouring clay liquid into a mold, drying and then hand painting. They are most often decorated with the image of Veronica, who is part of Kamnik's mythological history. After painting, they are fired in a kiln at a temperature exceeding 1000 degrees, making the pot waterproof and giving it a smooth and shiny surface.
Basket weaving
Despite the massive supply of industrial containers, wickerwork is still present in our region. Their products are made from various fast-growing plant species, such as willow, hazel, etc. and are a useful item for everyday use. When it comes to aesthetics and natural appearance, they are second to none. Storing fruit in such wicker baskets, in addition to the pleasant appearance, also prevents mold, which is a result of hermetically sealed containers and high humidity.
Pottery
Pottery is one of the most ancient skills mastered by human civilization. The creation of various containers for storing, cooking and baking food is of key importance for life. Thus, the production technique has practically not changed for thousands of years, and the material also remains the same – clay, which is transformed into durable and durable ceramics by firing. A quality product requires good knowledge of the material and production technique, in order to extract the desired shape from a piece of raw clay, dry it properly and fire it. Ceramic products, in addition to their aesthetic value, also have all the qualities of natural materials.
Fur farming and parchment making
Although fur has lost its importance in modern times, which is largely due to the ethical aspect of raw material extraction, products made from this material are still better than all artificial ones in terms of heat retention in certain cases. Among the materials that animals give us, leather finds its place. Despite the fact that we have industrial plants where hides are processed into leather, hand tanning is still a valued handicraft. Hand-tanned leather is more durable, and it does not use toxic chemicals for tanning. Particularly unique is the production of parchment, which was the only material used to write on until the invention of paper and is much more durable than paper. It is mostly made from the skin of young sheep or goats and then polished to transparency. Of course, it does not have today's value as a mass material, but it is used for the purpose of restoring old books and documents.
Accordion making
The accordion as an instrument is, in one form or another, part of many traditional and contemporary musical creations. In particular, in southwestern and central Europe it is considered a traditional instrument for folk music. It is a rather complex instrument, which requires skilled hands and a good knowledge of music in order to tune and extract exactly the tones that are needed. The finished product is a superbly finished instrument and serves the musician for many years.
Blacksmithing
In ancient times, a blacksmith was a special person who was credited with almost supernatural powers. He could use fire to extract a new material from stone (ore), with which nothing could be compared in terms of durability and strength. In addition, he made useful objects from this material, which were practically permanent despite constant use. Be it tools or weapons. Modern metallurgy has largely industrialized these processes, but artisan blacksmiths are still highly valued for making unique hunting or kitchen knives, and people also appreciate other products of artistic blacksmithing. The production of objects from iron (steel) requires knowledge of metallurgy, enthusiasm and hard work.
Fabric yarn
Despite mass production, clothing made from natural materials is highly valued among people who value health and comfort. Clothing has been of key importance since ancient times, as it protected us from external influences and also expressed our status and belonging. Apart from leather, the only sustainable material for making clothes was natural plant fiber or domestic animal hair. The production of yarn from flax or sheep hair was most often the domain of women's manual labor, and it remained so until the beginning of industrialization. We must respect and preserve the production of clothing from fiber to fabric as a cultural heritage.
Shoemaking
In today's flood of choices, we often fail to realize the importance of products such as shoes. Today's shoes are consumer goods that we mostly throw away after a short time and don't even try to repair them because the repair is too expensive or even impossible. Not so long ago, a pair of shoes was a real asset and many children from modest rural areas only got their first shoes in their teenage years. Until then, they mostly walked around barefoot. Making shoes was demanding work and footwear was therefore expensive and difficult to obtain. As a rule, people only owned one or two pairs of shoes, which they used for many years. Even today, despite the mass production of footwear, the knowledge of handwork can still be found in some places, but it is slowly dying out.
