Tile 1879 - 1884

Editor: So, here we have an earthy-toned ceramic tile created by J. and J. G. Low Art Tile Works, sometime between 1879 and 1884. The flowers are really brought to life through the relief. What's your take on this tile? Curator: It's a fascinating piece when you consider the Arts and Crafts movement's context. These tiles were mass-produced yet intentionally designed to bring art into everyday life. Note the process; a ceramic object meant to emulate hand-carving, using techniques accessible to factory workers. Does the mass production diminish its artistic value, or democratize it? Editor: That's a great point. I guess I hadn’t considered the workers who made these tiles. What can the material itself tell us? Curator: The use of readily available clay, molded and glazed to mimic the texture and depth of hand-carved ornament, challenges the very definition of 'fine art.' This wasn't meant to hang in a gallery, but to be integrated into architectural settings. Is it art or is it applied art? Editor: So it’s challenging this high art/ low art binary because it has a function while still being beautiful. Were these tiles accessible to most people? Curator: Relatively speaking, yes. Mass production allowed them to be more affordable, reaching a wider audience than individually crafted art pieces. But also consider how this style could then be adopted into mass-produced, lower quality objects, making this handmade quality more difficult to discern. It questions authenticity, right? Editor: It really does make you think about what art means in the age of mass production. It's more than just the aesthetic appeal. Curator: Precisely! It encourages us to think about labor, industrialization, and access to art in a different light.