When Rebecca Lajboschitz looks back on one of her first encounters with ‘box thinking,’ it’s the Goldsmiths art academy in London that comes to mind.

‘I once received criticism for making a suit. I remember they asked: Why did you make a suit when you’re studying fine art? I couldn’t explain it at the time, because I didn’t have that awareness yet.’

Back then – as today – Rebecca experimented with working at the intersection, just as she has always been drawn to things that don’t fit into a specific ‘box.’ The now 35-year-old artist interprets various craft techniques in her works, and she has chosen education with curiosity in mind rather than a specific goal.

Like peeing into the wind

Today, she still experiences that the biggest obstacle is the ‘box thinking’ at play, both from the industry and those otherwise interested in art. At the same time, it has become her modus operandi to draw from various crafts and make it her own.

‘It can feel like peeing into the wind. Because I don’t always immediately receive the acceptance that what I’m doing is art and not just crafts,’ Rebecca explains.

She elaborates that there is a barrier that several people need to overcome when she tells them she creates images with textiles, something she doesn’t experience with more conventional art forms.

‘If you ask people to think of a tool and a color, everyone thinks ‘red hammer’. There are just some encoded frames of understanding at play, and if you create something that doesn’t fit into them, you have to explain it.’

That’s why she has started saying that she paints with textiles, to describe what she does with very few words.

But peeing into the wind is also a good exercise. Rebecca explains that she thrives in this paradox. Mixing craft techniques for works – whether in jewelry, paintings, sculptures, or something else entirely – is like a double-edged sword.

‘On one hand, I find it annoying and frustrating, and on the other hand, it means that I have to push myself to explore and become more aware of what I’m doing, and become better at putting it into words.’

An Experimental Approach

When Rebecca looks back on the journey from Goldsmiths in London to the goldsmith education in Copenhagen, there’s something that stands out. Several times along the way, she realized that the straight path wasn’t for her.

At the Fashion Design Academy, she became proficient at sewing, even sewing straight lines. But she quickly concluded that there were others with more flair for it. And often, she became stubborn when faced with a specific task.

‘If I see a ring that should be a certain way, I feel like doing it differently. I feel like inventing my own methods and cowboy tricks to solve things.’

Rebecca realized that she had to go her own way when she was demanded too many answers, and the craftsmanship lines became too tight.

‘My approach has been more experimental, like a physics project. I find answers myself as to whether it makes sense. Because if you put too many words on why and invent a solution, it can be difficult for me to deviate from it afterward and remain open.’

Academicization is unfortunate

For Rebecca, it’s not about challenging the Danish education system, which she admits she doesn’t have much experience with. For her, it’s about finding joy in allowing herself to blend genres. She believes we should stop asking so many questions.

‘Most artists I know haven’t come up with anything brilliant by sitting and writing about it and thinking about it. Most start with a sudden curiosity and something they intuitively pour their love into.’

‘Generally, I think the increasing academicization is a bit unfortunate. I think it gives what it’s about – creating art – a hard time when you have to do academic tasks and argue more about why you do what you do.’

According to Rebecca, one should keep in mind that the arguments don’t weigh heavier than the magic in the work, the artistic, the special, the peculiar. Everything that stands out and makes the work interesting.

Spillover effect

Rebecca sees it as a strength to be able to do many things and combine creative approaches and ideas.

‘Think about the Børsen building that burned down. The spire, it was designed by Christian IV’s pyrotechnician. Maybe he didn’t know how to execute it, but there were others who could. He had a vision, could shape something. You don’t get that if you put people in a box and say they can only operate within it.’

According to Rebecca, one should be aware that they can do many different things. It has become a philosophy for her.

‘You shouldn’t see yourself as locked into one task. And then you should be open to a spillover effect. That can lead to really good things. It can be collaborations across creative fields or, like I do, pouring from one cup to another.’

Theme: The changing educational landscape

The changing landscape of Danish arts and design schools has been undergoing transformation over the years. Political reforms, budget cuts, name changes, box thinking, and the climate crisis all influence how artisans and designers are educated. Formkraft provides a platform for various voices to gain insight into the nuanced opportunities and challenges presented by these changes in the field. Currently, Designskolerne is negotiating the outcome of the latest graduate reform, and Formkraft will follow up when the schools make statements.

Further reading…