In the lampworking world there are many artists who are dedicated to producing the finest lampworked beads that they are able. They take great pride in being self representing artists. Many of them also take beautiful photographs of their work to use in their auctions on various sites.

And then there are the 'other' beadmakers. I hate to call them lampworkers, although technically they are, because I think of a lampworker as an artist, not as a machine. Many of these others just make mass produced beads that are of questionable quality. Some of them even claim that their work is annealed properly and made in the US. Most, if not all of these people are selling beads that are made in sweat shops in China and trying to represent them as US artesian made beads. They are using cheap labor and appalling conditions to make substandard beads.

When I see an auction on eBay, or any other site that has a fairly large number of beads at a very low price from a seller who is selling numerous other items and has a high feedback, it triggers 'crap' in my brain. I realize that not all beadmakers can have a starting price of $49.99 for each set of beads but if you have a starting price of $9.99, are selling 50 sets of beads and have a feedback of 2000, you aren't doing it yourself.

It has come to my attention that some of these sellers are advertising in Bead and Button and all of the Kalamback magazines. I realize that magazines rely on their advertisers more than on their subscribers for the money that it takes to publish their magazines but many, if not all of the lampworkers I know find it difficult to have their adds on the same pages as the junk bead adds.

The reason that they are finding it so difficult is that at least one of the Chinese bead sellers( who is based in Canada) has taken pictures directly from eBay of others' auctions and claimed them as his own. It is not just a matter of having their beautiful beads on the same page, it's a matter of theft of their product. They make beautiful beads and he uses their beautiful pictures to misrepresent what he is selling. The person I am refering to is not the only cheap beadmaker who is doing this.

One of the Kalambach magazines, BeadStyle, even is having a contest with the prize being $250. of his beads if you win. This is a huge affront to all those people that this person has ripped off in one way or another. If it isn't stealing their pictures, it's stealing their ideas. If it isn't stealing their ideas, it's clogging up the auction sites with their junk until people can't even find the SRA beads.

If you would like to find out more about how the SRA's feel, please go to www.lampworketc.com and read the threads there. Many people feel that they are going to have to pull their advertising out of any magazine who also carries adds by this particular person and many of us are reconsidering our subscriptions to any of the Kalambach magazines. We realize that there are many levels of jewelry making and that not everyone can or wants to spend large amounts of money on the beads they use. Our objection is to the shoddy business practices of anyone who steals someone else's representation of their work to try to make their own shoddy work appear to be something that it is not.

We ask Kalambach to reconsider the contest and the adds that are placed in your wonderful magazines.

Thank you.

Deborah Kauzlarich

We assume that you are speaking of Austin Hamilton? We have had some extensive discussion of his practices.

http://www.beadstylemag.com/bds/community/forum/topic.asp?page=1&TOPIC_ID=11824

Deborah I am in wholehearted agreement with what you have wrote and am glad to see it worded so eloquently. I have a huge admiration for the work of those who dance with the flame. The ads you refer to have been bothering me for some time now as well. I had not heard of the contest, a further disturbing trend.

That reminds me of the whole ACEO 'scene' on ebay. Even though I just started selling art cards I was invited to join an ebay art card group - this group is having much the same discussion about sellers who are simply cashing in on the trend. There are many similarities (though there is no advertising in magazines that I'm aware of).

What they've decided to do is create an 'official' criteria that ACEO artists should meet to be considered a 'real' ACEO artist. Kind of seal of approval. They've been discussing this for some time, and it seems many are actively trying to qualify themselves according to criteria set by the group now.

Personally I don't agree with this for the ACEO realm because it's just one more way to set yourself on another level. To gain some sort of added recognition. I believe that art should remain outside any standard criteria, so I'm opting out of the whole classification process. As a 'self-taught' artist it irks me that anyone would take steps to distinguish their work by jumping through hoops and adopting standards on how they can produce and sell their work - just to add another tag to themselves. In many ways that's exactly what art school does - I find it ironic that many ACEO artists pride themselves on being self-taught, but are wholeheartedly embracing the idea of placing themselves in their own box.

In terms of lampworked beads this sort of thing may be a good idea though - not that it's not artistic, but it is definitely more product oriented and functional than 'art.' From that standpoint it may be wise to proclaim yourself (and be verified) as a Lampwork Artisan. You could draft certain 'codes of conduct' in how you make and sell your beads. These criteria could be developed together with other lampworkers that share your ideals and standards - perhaps form an organization.

As a bead buyer I know I have to do a LOT of research before I buy - it would be great to have some sort of 'seal of approval' that tells me what I'm buying is designed/created by the person selling the beads - and also that it's properly annealed.

The thing you'd have to keep an eye on is a sort of competitive exclusion - it would have to be set up in such a way that anyone who meets the criteria effectively would be accepted - regardless of their skill level or aestetic sensibility. The criteria should not cloud the freedom to create, but should simply maintain that the work is original and well made according to rules all lampworkers can agree on.

I know many lampwork artisans take great pride in their work and find much joy in what they do. It's a shame that 'competitors' who do not share their ideals or meet quality criteria are beginning to drown them out. They deserve to be rewarded for the fine work they do, and the marketplace should definitely take steps to ensure that scoundrels and opportunists be left on the sidelines.

Thanks for the support. I know that the lampwork community will appreciate this.

Totemic, I think that one way you can tell about a 'seal of approval' is to look for SRA, or self represented artist. Many of the artists that I know are using that to distinguish their work from the work of the 'slave labor' beads.

I think that another issue is the safety of the lampworkers in China and the other countries that produce these beads. They don't have proper ventilation. They don't have proper eye protection. And they are probably injuring themselves for pennies. I just hope that the ones that have true talent have some way of finally expressing themselves as artists. It must be a difficult situation to be in.

Thanks for the tip about SRA - I'll definitely keep my eye out for that!

Your comment about sweat shop workers with 'true talent' getting their chance conjured up an image of a sneaky young worker absconding with tools and materials to begin a personal bead-making enterprise!

More power to 'em!

[:D]
John

this problem feeds into my current bugaboo: hierarchy.

note the various threads we have here regarding this pernicious concept. no matter what the media we work in, we are subject to SOMEONE telling us that our muse is insufficient to the call of the Marketplace.

well, even tho it is odd for me to do at the cusp of my professional breakthru, i CURSE the hierarchy of the arts! art is what you do and what the viewer makes of it, nothing more or less than a primeval drive for transcendance. so make it how you love it, or else you will be dead too soon to fix your errors. and love the aesthetics of what you do, so much so that the pleasure overrides the sacrifices. artist is how artist does.

peace to all!

I am so glad that I have the time today to read this thread. I just purchased a whopping amt. of beads from this person that is being discussed!! No more. Thanks for the info.

If you feel that the seller misrepresented the beads then visit this site and sign the petition that requests that they disclose the country of manufacture of the beads so that the buyers can fairly and reasonably make a decision based on a full and honest description of the items offered.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/872722428

-Su