How much creative can creativity be? What can be considered "creative", nowadays?
These are the questions I was asking myself while I was walking along Penn Avenue, between Pacific and Atlantic Street.
A gorgeous and sunny day was the perfect background for this little but dense Festival. Held today from 12 to 6 pm, the Festival was about art and manufactured products. Any support, any color, any material. Useful objects or just treats, but very creative. And here we go back to creativity.
Creativity comes from the latin "creo", that means "to make". In ancient cultures creativity wasn't really "existing", being art supposed to be just a "discover" and, lately in Christian era, divine inspiration.
In 1926 Graham Wallace, in his Art of Thought, created a model for the creative process. According to him, creativity consists of five steps: preparation, incubation, intimation, illumination and finally verification. Each step is fundamental to reach the final result of creating something that works. Most important: according to him, creativity is part of the evolutionary process of human beings.
My question now is: what is creativity, today? From what I can read and see of the most popular creations of these days, plus considering the evolutionary process and the environmental situation, I do believe that creativity today is no more just "to make" something, but "to change" something. Reciclying is the new frontier for creativity, with any other way that allows us to save on energy and materials. That would respect Wallace idea of evolutionary process, because it is evident that, right now, our world is shrinking and we are running low in materials and energy sources. Not to consider the problem of waste and garbage.
I love to remember also Bruno Munari definition for creativity: everything that is feasible in a global way, also from a technical point of view. I think that the "global way" he was speaking of is close to the Immanuel Kant dilemma of what is Good. Kant, when in doubt about something, if it was a good or bad thing to do, was asking himself: what if everyone on this Earth is doing this thing; would it be right for the world, or sustainable? Creativity today should keep in mind this, and keep asking the same Kant's question.
Considering the environmantal challenges we are facing nowadays, I do believe that reuse, recycling and saving energy or materials are today's only possible form of creativity.
Going back to the Festival, I wanted to show you something really creative, according to the above principles. Maybe these things won't change the world, but the fact that creativity is developing in this way, it's a sign of something changing in our attitudes. Big hope for the future!
- Pittsburgh Canning Exchange
These friends want to teach people how to save on food, by preparing your own canning. A second part of the project is to organize parties and events where people can exchange their cannings.
Learn more on their website http://canningexchange.org/
Canning team at their stand
- Stella Divina
By recycling beer labels and working with recyclable materials, S. J. Antonucci is making these nice tiles, to be used as coasters. Her workplace is her kitchen. The tiles come from constructions and demolitions, from all over the world. The cork under the tile is from Portugal, 100% recyclable. The glazing resin is a sustainable one, from an ecofriendly company. Learn more about her project here http://www.stelladivina.com/about.php
Cork, cork cork: cork is the word. I said cork, cork, cork...
Honorable mention for the serie of tiles dedicated to Pittsburgh: here, the Civic Arena now demolished.
- Shernise Alexa
Despite the industry is still playing a lot with plastic, I am personally convinced that glass, a very ecofriendly material, has still a lot to say. A proof is here, with Shernise, that creates also plates for Ikebana compositions. Her vases, twice fired, are given simple shapes, letting the serendipity of the process to do the rest. You can contact Shernise at Art with Heart (412-441-1029). Her studio is at 4809 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA.
Ikebana, Wabisabi style.
- Junquey Gal
Recycling fabrics and tissues of any kind, Kelly Crisanti creates romantic bags and clothes. Recycling can be definitely classy. You can find her in Downtown Pittsburgh, at the Boutique208 (208 Sixth Street, Pittsburgh, PA).
Email address is junqueygal@gmail.com.
Phone is 412-480-3839
- Vehement Romantic
No need to spend tons of money on fancy jewels: you can just rely on the beauty of nature and the help of little resin. These jewels are magnificently done, elegant, and are made with very common leaves or small flowers that are growing pretty much freely. The "staff pick" is an amazing dandelion, "caught" in the ripe moment.
More info at VehementRomanticFrantic@gmail.com.
Ripe dandelion, alone on the right, on black background.
- Pat Knoerdel Gilman
Alternative ways to grow your plants. Use shoes, for example!
These are some of the creations by Pat.
You can learn more at pknoerdel@gmail.com or at 724-312-1950
Finally, a quick note on the food stands there. Congrats to NACL Salt of the Earth that was offering free samplings of great chicken liver patè, on crostini, with pickle mulberry.
I would encourage to have a dinner there, ASAP! They are at 5523 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA.
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