Lace as Traditional and Contemporary Craft

Illustration: Butterfly lace design.

Within the craft disciplines, there is very often a certain amount of friction between what some see as the importance of the continuation of a discipline through the concept of its perceived traditions, and those who wish to expand disciplines by infiltrating the contemporary. Sometimes the two viewpoints can be accommodated, but very often not, which of course ends up denying both viewpoints and leading to an unsatisfactory discipline sometimes bordering on two exclusively armed camps.

Lace, although by no means exclusive, is a craft discipline where tradition plays a major part in its existence, more so perhaps than other textile traditions such as embroidery, tapestry and quilting for example, where despite reluctance in some quarters, the disciplines have a healthy and progressive, contemporary and dynamic viewpoint, as well as maintaining their on-going traditions.