Abstract

This article explores the intersections of labor and leisure in the creation of artwork made by professional sailors. Carving scrimshaw, drawing in journals, or creating intricate knot work was more than a response to boredom at sea. The act of creating art was influenced by an increasing awareness of leisure as a new social expectation. Art provided sailors with an outlet for self-expression. In the all-consuming work environment of the ship, making art allowed sailors to differentiate between their work time and their leisure time. The objects sailors made reflected their understandings of the world around them and their connection to other nineteenth century laborers. This article shows that sailor art, though created far out at sea, was deeply embedded in the social and cultural milieu of folk art in America.

摘要

本文探讨了职业水手创作的艺术作品中劳动与休闲的交叉点。雕刻 scrimshaw、在日记中画画或制作复杂的结作品不仅仅是对海上无聊的回应。人们越来越意识到休闲是一种新的社会期望，这影响了创作艺术的行为。艺术为水手们提供了自我表达的出口。在全船消耗的工作环境中，制作艺术让水手们能够区分他们的工作时间和休闲时间。水手制作的物品反映了他们对周围世界的理解以及他们与其他 19 世纪劳动者的联系。这篇文章表明，水手艺术虽然是在遥远的海上创作的，但深深植根于美国民间艺术的社会和文化环境中。