J O S H   C U L L E R T O N 

When we often read about this idea of the ‘primitive man’ and his association with the word craft, denoting a perception of a character, of an early stage lacking sophistication and understanding of the world around him. Yet in Roman antiquity an example such as Minerva – the goddess of wisdom and sponsor of design 1 – the relic makes God of those who invented such crafts. 2 This disparity from primitive to godliness within craftsmanship is curious as the origins appear not be to key to this assumption, implying “crafts for all the necessary things of life”3 are not present before ancient antiquities. A disregard of the primitive hut is an unreasonable opinion as the primitive man could only work with the means he knew as they were the first men in setting the conditions of refuge.4

 

In conjunction with the Chamber of the Scottish Parliament this relationship of craft through design and primitive theory through community are present via the architecture embedded within. The shape of the chamber with all the parties facing inward – in a semicircular position – looks on to the city skyline and depicts a return to  to origin in relating to the primitive mans discovery of fire, sitting round for warmth, in discussion, has this image of community in mind. There is no segregation from public to private as the design evokes this idea of openness to city, communicating a connection with the nation’s people allowing to watch and take part in these debates. Although the dialog within may appear similar to the “wild beasts”5 of the past in terms of heated exchanges, yet these are all positives as the people of Scotland can fully witness the issues raised and thus generates a sense of national community. The craftsmanship in the chambers design is a direct association with the origins of the primitive man interpreted to challenge the concepts of present day civilisation. The empathic craft of the past does not state an idea of primitive thought but the “greatest evidence of intelligence”6 as society and humanity would not be the same without it.

 

 

 

 

1 Richard Haydock Larousse Desk Reference Encyclopedia, (The Book People 1995) 215

2 "Craft [abridged]." The Encyclopedia of Diderot & d'Alembert Collaborative Translation Project. Translated by Stephen J. Gendzier. Ann Arbor (University of Michigan Library, 2009 http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.did2222.0001.301 (accessed 14th October 2015)

3 "Craft [abridged]", http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.did2222.0001.301 (accessed 14th October 2015)

4  Joseph Rykwert, Thinking and doing - On Adam's house in paradise: the idea of the primitive hut in architectural history, (Cambridge 1981), 15

5 Jim Lawson, Origin, (7th October 2015) Slide 21

6 "Craft [abridged]", http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.did2222.0001.301 (accessed 14th October 2015)