Although the motto has changed over the years, the theme of ‘blurring the line between art and design’ has remained consistent. Josiah’s work as an artist and as a designer are difficult to distinguish from each other.
The argument, ‘is it design or is it art?’, is an unhelpful one. It was only after the age of enlightenment that art, religion and science were separated; in fact, it’s only in the last century that ‘design’ has come to be distinguished from art. Josiah believes that the world is better with more art in it, and he chooses to see design as art because ‘there’s not enough time for boring brands’.
Josiah’s background in hand crafts is very evident in his work. He makes no attempt to hide his working-class upbringing, insisting that art is not for the privileged few but for the many.
To Josiah, perfection isn’t something to be valued. Perfection is often seen to be equal to beauty, but Josiah holds to the concept that something can be imperfect, and that imperfection is in fact what makes it beautiful. Although he works to a high degree of skill, Josiah often intentionally leaves edges unfinished, screws misaligned, or glue blobs un-scraped as a reminder that two hands crafted these pieces.
Inspired by ‘hype culture’, these pieces represent the willingness of consumers to spend hand-made prices on mass-produced commodities.
The irony of a high-end handmade handbag being made from a repurposed skateboard is juxtaposed against hand-crafted leather appointments. At over 50 hours’ work, each piece represents more work than most brands in the fashion industry commit to a single product.
Price available on request at hello@josiahgoldsmith.com
