The first and second issues of Hand/Eye
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In the face of the demise of so many magazines, a fresh new voice (or should I say face?) emerges from the rubble. HAND/EYE explores the work of artists, craftsmen and organizations from around the globe who are trying to make a difference in the world by the labor of their hands and the unique perspective that could only be captured through their eyes. This magazine is permeated with beauty; embodied by the work itself as well as that which radiates from the spirit of the makers. And when has an art and design magazine ever restored your soul as much as it tickled your fancy?
Keith Recker is the man behind this endeavor.
Recker, whose day-time-job is as a color consultant to Pantone, runs this semi-annual publication as a vocation. As Recker explains, “HAND/EYE grew out of 20 years of volunteering, giving, board service, and
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consulting with several non-profits devoted to artisan development, including Aid to Artisans, SERRV, the Kentucky Craft Marketing Program, Brandaid Project, CARE International, etc… I learned about the cultural riches being put to gorgeous use all over the world, and was surprised at how little most North Americans knew about the handmade world. Awareness and understanding are certainly better than they were 20 years ago, but I saw an opportunity to talk about the great intersecting points between art, craft, design, philanthropy and enlightened consumption...and HAND/EYE was born.”
Marrying social consciousness and business is not a new idea. Anita Roddick, of The Body Shop, accomplished this with her amazing corporation and product line. Others have succeeded as well. Recker achieves new heights; connecting more people, more products, more social causes… and all under the auspices of a very high caliber of work.
Recker is a true connoisseur of beauty, elegance and discrimination. (His background includes Gump’s, Saks
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The stunningly gorgeous spread from issue 1 entitled "African Velvets" discusses the longstanding Congolese tradition of Kuba cloth. Not only does the article address the intricacies of the manufacturing process, but also discusses how interaction with westerners has altered the Kuba people's use of color and pattern. The article also includes a list of additional sources for inquiring minds.
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Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s.) Leafing through HAND/EYE is a way of taking the rolodex of his mind and picking through it for ideas, information and sources. As he explains, “I hope that readers will see things that inspire them to create, to learn more, and to support what they are drawn to through their charitable giving or their purchasing.”
His view on the future of business is optimistic and interesting. As he explains “We are all yearning for new ways to feel connected to what we eat, what we wear, what we see and hear. Our easy-to-buy and easy-to-toss society has created a strange alienation: we are so separate from the source of what we consume that we are not satisfied by all the buying we do. Quantity and quality have parted ways on many levels. If we can reapproach the things we surround ourselves with through an understanding of the traditions and innovations they express, and of the people and processes who produce them, we will be more thoughtful about what we buy, and better appreciate what we have.”
He continues, “On a purely cultural level, learning about how and why people make things can only enhance our own creativity -- as we make things ourselves, or even as we problem-solve in our daily lives.”
Go Keith!
subscribe online at www.handeyemagazine.com
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Going beyond the surface, Hand/Eye's articles also draw attention to the political and social aspects inherent in a global design culture. This article from Issue 2 features an organization known as Synergo Arts, which is acting hard to improve the ergonomic working conditions of traditional backstrap weavers in the highlands of Guatemala.
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