For
the last 40 years I have loved handmade pottery and other tools
and objects that are elegant combinations of function and beauty.
Our world would be a colder place if we didn't have anything
made by hand. I think that handmade pottery and furniture, hand
knit sweaters; quilting and hand weaving have different vibrations
than machine made objects. For me, there is a warm glow from
these objects, almost like the glow from healthy skin. Other
people see or sense this too.
I
was honoured by the Alberta Craft Council this winter to be
nominated for the Linda Stanier award. I would like to recommend
someone who, at 80 years of age, truly is a lifetime craftsman
and deserves much more recognition. The hand weaver Ilya Oratovsky,
who sells his work at the Strathcona Market, is often overlooked
because his craftmanship is so good that people mistake his
work for machine weaving. Antonia and I visited Ilya and his
wife Maria, who is also a weaver, at their home. We saw in his
simple workshop, the looms and warping mill that he built himself.
These are not the beautiful looms that are pieces of furniture,
but functional tools for a man who knows exactly what he needs.
Ilya and Maria were trained in the Ukraine and he designs and
weaves beautiful wool, and wool and alpaca blankets. Japan is
a country that has had a long tradition of handcrafts and a
respect for the craftspeople that make them. If Ilya were Japanese
he would be respected and nationally recognized for his skill
and dedication to his craft, and his blankets would cost much
more than they do here. If anyone has not had a chance to see
Ilya's traditional blankets or to buy one (or a dozen like we
have), please look for him at the Strathcona Market. You can
find his table in the second aisle from the east and about 100
feet north of the main entrance. His work is also available
at one of the only stores in Edmonton where nothing is made
in China, the Alberta Craft Council Gallery at 10186-106 Street.
If
handmade objects are the warm skin of our interactions with
life, Ilya is one of the people who can keep us warm in two
ways.
By
Sam Uhlick
