The Glenn Adamson article about Craft was very interesting to me, as it should be to any artist, especially in the ceramics world. (By the way has anyone seen the PBS movie Craft in America?It tackles this dance between art and craft). Being a former fashion designer and a modern intellectual about art I do see the value in the work of many skilled people who do not get the credit as just the way of the world. In such case it may not even be the idea of the name of the brand (yes that's you Ralph Lauren my former employer) or artist. It also is not made by that person or probebly anywhere near them. I would draw flat sketches and email them to China and have sample shoes in 2 days(Italy or Brazil took longer because they didn't live in the factories and did more hand sewing ex). These skilled workers actualy make the molds and fashion the shoe but are not considered arts because it's commercial? because it's not their idea? As a commercial fashion designer often given constraints and problems to solve I always thought of myself as an artist. The wishes of the company were like having work commisioned and meeting a patron's wishes.
I do agree that much of what is out there in the craft world are things that are suppose to be unique but when you produce a lot that takes away from the rareness or specialty. The problem is in todays economy how could anyone limit production?
The Miwon Kwon article was very enlightening about the work of Richard Serra I had allways thought his works were sight speciefic in the usual way. When he blocked vision I thought it was specific to the location so was therefore the conventional just extreme and in your face. It is a countermodel in fact of the usual site specific. It is interesting to think of all these different models, and the possibilities are enless!