Folk Art and the Community
The folk art of the Carolina Low Country is richly based in the surrounding community. Many of the arts are functional-- baskets and wrought iron gates are two of the most obvious. These art forms arose, not only out of artistic concerns, but also out of economic and social needs. Traditional crafts, such as sea grass basketry, whose abundant material makes construction relatively inexpensive, allows one to earn money while practicing an art often learned in childhood. Other more costly crafts, like blacksmithing, are traditionally passed down throughout a series of apprenticeships. Apprenticeships strengthens community ties by drawing its support directly from the community. |
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The folk art found in the Carolina Low Country tends to be relatively static by nature. Wrought iron gates, for instance, not only represent an actual border, but also act as a symbol of permanence. Immovable and communal artifacts like gates exemplify the importance of a shared local heritage. Similarly, art forms such as sea grass baskets, are necessarily stable within the low country. Originally an African art form, the materials are limited to temperate coastal regions. This natural limitation prevents the migration of this outside of the low country. |
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