CRAFT IN THE AGE OF AI

involving a personally acquired skill through practice and experience

an iterative and continued exploration and refinement of technique

strong tactile or embodied element. involves knowledge, but not ONLY in the mind

does not require either novelty of conceptual weight. the "doing" of it is enough. no further justification

 

with regards to craft vs fine art — historically there used to be no distinction between the two. the distinction has changed over time, across cultural contexts, served different purposes and groups of people at different times. that is rich to examine.

motivated by a reclaiming of agency. desire to anchor, amidst accelerating change.

 

blacksmithing and writing low level code may seem strange combination, but share common elements:

· working with basic/fundamental material — tools and workpiece both made from iron. "everything is computer." digital information as homogenous substrate whether it represents sound, visual, etc.

· few dependencies. robust, non proprietary, resistant to change.

(in addition to the notes in #2)

 

an aestheticized experience borne from familiarity / nostalgia.

 

i like the "feeling" of coding, which for me is:

· typing / muscle memory

· terminal

· glowing CRT

· simple language (C)

· no fancy tools

 

overlaps with elements of craft.