Skilling and De-skilling
“Deskilling” is a term that emerged to describe work is fragmented, as in assembly line factory production, resulting in the loss of integrated skills and comprehensive knowledge that yields pride in workmanship and a sense of accomplishment.
In an application to the arts, Benjamin Buchloh, the esteemed art historian, defines deskilling as artistic endeavors throughout the twentieth century that “are linked in their persistent effort to eliminate artisanal competence and other forms of manual virtuosity from the horizon of both artist competence and aesthetic valuation."
Some thoughts on ‘deskilling’ and eco-art:
‘Deskilling’ is an art approach that can only be justified if artists are working with inert mediums. In that context a hurried and clumsy art work, whether it emerges from protest, principle, or carelessness, may carry valid social commentary.
But deskilling cannot be tolerated when a living entity or a functioning ecosystem becomes an inherent part of the artwork. Human engagements intended to maintain life and vitality can only be achieved through earnest concern, scrupulous observation, cultivation of required conditions, and provision of needed resources.
In this context, lack of skill carries consequences that far exceed personal pronouncements. By withering or dieing, living entities and living systems provide calculable measures of skill and excellence. For this reason, eco artists can assert the pragmatic and ethical value of human skillfulness, serving as ambassadors of meticulous care-giving in all our material interactions.