The Return of the ‘Handmade’ in Today’s Tech-Fatigued World

Will AI kill the craft star?

If you studied art history, you remember the Aesthetic Movement of the 19th century, whose thesis was “art for art’s sake.” The movement was a direct response to the Industrial Revolution. It served to ignite artists to fight against mass-produced goods and glean inspiration from the Renaissance and other art periods that were indulgent and awe-inspiring. Art from this period is full of moody women sitting in beautiful scenes, just taking it all in.

We’re currently in the midst of a similar technological revolution. Audiences and artists are rallying against AI slop in Reddit wormholes and analyzing imagery for too many toes. And the most interesting advertising teams are paying attention, reacting and repeating history.

Take the Doritos Simply NKD campaign by GUT. The initiative features Renaissance-inspired paintings, reflecting the brand’s “stripping away” of dyes and additives, highlighting the simple beauty of the chip. The tagline, “The Renaissance of Snacking” alludes to snacking being an art form—maybe even, dare I say, snacking for snacking’s sake?

Too literal? What about Olivia Rodrigo’s latest music videos? In an interview with Reframed the Podcast, cinematographer Todd Banhazl said they chose to shoot the “drop dead” clip on vintage cameras because it makes everything look beautiful—not to make a statement or for nostalgia. Then there are the handmade props and stop-motion animation featured in the video for the song “the cure.” As prop stylist Liam Moore told It’s Nice That, “For ‘the cure,’ there was only one rule: Everything in the video should, almost across the board, have a handmade touch.”

What about the return of film? If you’re willing to wait in line, you can visit Autophoto, New York’s “Premier Analog Photobooth Gallery and Museum,” or Happy Beginnings Studio for a vintage peel-apart film portrait with photographer Thomas T. Tran. There are tintype pop-ups in Brooklyn every weekend. And everyone knows about Tom’s One Hour Photo & Lab in Los Angeles, where Tom is keeping vintage glamour shots en vogue.

In a world where we have access to unlimited instant gratification, why are so many people seeking out tactility? Why is “craft” the new buzzword? Why did Lily Allen choose a hand-painted portrait for the cover of West End Girl? Why did Hermès collaborate with 50 different illustrators in 2025? Why do actors get giddy to peruse the Criterion Closet for physical media?

This is that historical reaction repeating itself. In a world full of political unrest, war and uncertainty, why not lean into beauty, find joy in the small things, and bring your viewer pleasure, even if it only means a moment of respite?

It’s natural for trends to flip-flop. We lean all into CGI in Q1 and commission puppetry only for Q2. Superhero movies ruled the theater for a decade, but today’s biggest box office successes are first-time auteurs and original stories. Art for art’s sake is happening again—whether it’s artists creating that work digitally with funky, 3D claymation or delicate, paper-engineered set design.

But it’s what came after the Aesthetic Movement that interests me: Art Nouveau and the Arts and Crafts movement.

These subsequent movements didn’t end industrialization and the assembly line. They didn’t kill the machine, just like video didn’t kill the radio star. These new movements merely added more choices. They could all exist in tandem.

The AI bubble is bursting. It’s not going to disappear, but it will quiet down and find its place alongside other technologies. As I said above, film is back, baby! Digital cameras slowed film down for a bit, but they now live together in a peaceful harmony.

Artists like Olivia Rodrigo understand the importance of craft. Instead of automating, she hired the best possible craftspeople to create handmade props for her music video. Why go for mediocrity when you can go for the best? Surely some of the processes of creating her music videos are automated (because automation in and of itself isn’t evil). But the art, the beauty and the craft of it—that’s something AI cannot do.

And audiences can sense the effort—craft like this is effort—and they appreciate it. Do a quick search for Rodrigo’s new album and you’ll see hundreds of videos of “Livies” (Olivia’s ardent fans) deep-diving into the craft of it all.

The harmonization of technology and art will continue, and history will once again repeat itself, as it so often does. Rather than every commercial production utilizing AI, every tech company rebrand using the same circular theme for its logos, and every girlie pop musician working with the same producer, we will see a plethora of diversity in the arts. Artists in all industries will strive for the highest level of craft (no matter what tools they’re sharpening). So, sit back like one of those moody, Aesthetic Movement painting girls and take it all in.

Related: Why Great Designers Need Less Design Inspiration