large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_07_morris_64kb_2
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_07_morris_64kb
English
6138
The mediæval craftsman was free in his work, therefore he made it as amusing to himself as he could; and it was his pleasure and not his pain that made all things beautiful that were made, and lavished treasures of human hope and thought on everything that man made, from a cathedral to a porridge pot. THE MEDIAEVAL CRAFTSMAN WAS FREE IN HIS WORK THEREFORE HE MADE IT AS AMUSING TO HIMSELF AS HE COULD AND IT WAS HIS PLEASURE AND NOT HIS PAIN THAT MADE ALL THINGS BEAUTIFUL THAT WERE MADE AND LAVISHED TREASURES OF HUMAN HOPE AND THOUGHT ON EVERYTHING THAT MAN MADE FROM A CATHEDRAL TO A PORRIDGE POT
ct on the art of those days, its shortcomings are traceable to them; they repressed art in certain directions, I do not doubt that; and for that reason I say, that when we shake off the present oppression as we shook off the old, we may expect the art of the days of real freedom to rise above that of those old violent days. But I do say that it was possible then to have social, organic, hopeful progressive art; whereas now such poor scraps of it as are left are the result of individual and wasteful struggle, are retrospective and pessimistic. And this hopeful art was possible amidst all the oppression of those days, because the instruments of that oppression were grossly obvious, and were external to the work of the craftsman. They were laws and customs obviously intended to rob him, and open violence of the highway-robbery kind. In short, industrial production was not the instrument used for robbing the “lower classes;” it is now the main instrument used in that honourable profession. IDDLE AGES HAD ITS EFFECT ON THE ART OF THOSE DAYS ITS SHORTCOMINGS ARE TRACEABLE TO THEM THEY REPRESSED ART IN CERTAIN DIRECTIONS I DO NOT DOUBT THAT AND FOR THAT REASON I SAY THAT WHEN WE SHAKE OFF THE PRESENT OPPRESSION AS WE SHOOK OFF THE OLD WE MAY EXPECT THE ART OF THE DAYS OF REAL FREEDOM TO RISE ABOVE THAT OF THOSE OLD VIOLENT DAYS BUT I DO SAY THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE THEN TO HAVE SOCIAL ORGANIC HOPEFUL PROGRESSIVE ART WHEREAS NOW SUCH POOR SCRAPS OF IT AS ARE LEFT ARE THE RESULT OF INDIVIDUAL AND WASTEFUL STRUGGLE ARE RETROSPECTIVE AND PESSIMISTIC AND THIS HOPEFUL ART WAS POSSIBLE AMIDST ALL THE OPPRESSION OF THOSE DAYS BECAUSE THE INSTRUMENTS OF THAT OPPRESSION WERE GROSSLY OBVIOUS AND WERE EXTERNAL TO THE WORK OF THE CRAFTSMAN THEY WERE LAWS AND CUSTOMS OBVIOUSLY INTENDED TO ROB HIM AND OPEN VIOLENCE OF THE HIGHWAY ROBBERY KIND IN SHORT INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION WAS NOT THE INSTRUMENT USED FOR ROBBING THE LOWER CLASSES IT IS NOW THE MAIN INSTRUMENT USED IN THAT HONORABLE PROFESSION
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