Anachronism

I can say that by nature I am an anachronist. This definition from here, seems to sum it up.

"An anachronist, on the other hand, is a person who refuses to blindly embrace the fashions and modes of life characteristic of his time. That, he says, would be a temporal prejudice; a more enlightened view would find that the past contains treasures which have been lost to us, but which can–so we hope–be recovered."

I shave with a straight razor, even if Gillette says one blade good five blades better. I investigate cultures and customs from the past. I hold religious beliefs which mankind have held for thousands of years prior to the rise of the Abrahamic traditions. I regularly read archaeology journals. At the core of things I have this idea that possibly this rapid acceleration brought on by the industrial revolution, means we have left some things behind which we should be holding onto. This is not to say I don't appreciate sanitation, modern surgery, freely available coffee supplies and wifi. It just means that I feel sense of loss of something which is possibly intangible.

One of the reasons I am so fascinated with ancient craft techniques is that by learning them, it is possible to, through shared experience, connect in some way with craftsman from the past. In many traditions such as the martial art of the sword, Japanese culture has been able to keep the line of teacher to student unbroken. This is mostly due to their policy of voluntary cultural isolation, eschewing modern things as non Japanese. This unbroken line is what makes learning Japanese metal techniques most attractive to me. Many western traditions have been revived or reverse engineered, we have manuscripts describing sword techniques, woodcuts depicting medieval workshops as well as surviving material evidence which can be studied. However, the act of teaching a student, passing on the knowledge your teacher gave you carries with it thousands of both practical as well as less tangible things such as correct mindset or attitude.

The Japanese government recognise the value in these traditional disciplines and make funding available for small schools to continue. Unfortunately, fewer and fewer people are willing to endure the traditional apprenticeship required to receive not just the physical skills but the mental fortitude the exacting traditions demand. Fortunately, this has allowed a few westerners who have shown such dedication to be allowed to learn and then teach and so continue the line of master to student.

Jake Powning

Jake Powning is a Canadian sword maker and wood carver. I have followed his work for several years. His work focusses on keeping ancient techniques and cultural concepts alive.

http://powning.com/jake/about-jake-2/

As a craftsman interested in ancient cultures and techniques, I really enjoy his pieces. He also writes a blog and interacts with people who share his interests.

It is encouraging to find these small pockets of people who are continuing and in some cases reverse engineering traditional techniques. In many cases it is not just a technique people are looking for but a way to share a certain mindset with those who came before.

In Powning's case the mindset is to walk the border between myth and reality, to cast aside modern cynicism and allow oneself to believe in a little magic just as our forebears did. In Jungian terms, the myth and magic are keys to our subconscious mind from whence creativity and art spring.

Something I struggle with in the creative process is to let go of my analytical cynical mind and allow myself to show the more child like, magic believing, dragon fearing side of my nature.

http://society6.com/jakepowning/prints