Made in America
Lately there has been a surge of interest in all things made in America. Perhaps this is due to the increasingly rare occurrence of such items, or more likely it is a way of expressing a certain desire to be supportive of America in a world of increasing imports. This is not a new phenomenon. I recall such an event happening several decades ago, particularly with regard to automobile manufacturers. That was a time when the Asian invasion of well made cars was giving Detroit some severe challenges, both in terms of design and quality. The challenge was well deserved as Detroit, overly confident in its market had paid less attention to its quality control than it might have.
Now the challenge is coming again from Asia, for the most part, and they are competing aggressively in all areas of manufacturing. Is this a bad thing, he asked rhetorically? That, of course, depends on whether you are a buyer or a manufacturer. Certainly there are bargains available in the electronics field, and their cars have obtained an unparalleled sophistication in both design and engineering. As an American manufacturer, I am keenly aware of the competition coming from outside of my country. Would it not be nice to have a monopoly with no outside annoyance of others pestering to take my business from me? Alas, those days are probably gone forever. I am glad in some way that people seek my products out for the simple reason that they are made in America. On the other hand it is a reason with which I am not entirely happy.
As a designer, a manufacturer and as an artist (for I make that claim as one who conceives an idea and then creates it), I hope to be sought primarily for my designs, as if price were not an object. Obviously price is always an object, but a variable one. Pricing is a problem; get it wrong and you will lose money, and no one can afford that. As it stands, I price my lighting, I feel, at a competitive level. But then, the correct price is in the minds of the buyers. However, being made in America is not a virtue in and of itself.
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| Rainier sconce, F412 |
Gold leaf worn through to a black lacquer ground with a white opal glass lens. Ancient and contemporary, happy in any interior setting. See it, and others, on my web at Rainier on my web
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| Paphiopedilum Leeanum |
Orchid du jour...
A delicate lady slipper orchid, a hybrid from some years ago, is one of the favorites among orchidophiles. Bi-lateral symmetry is one of the characteristics of orchid flowers and human beings alike.
