The Craft Reader

by Glenn Adamson

Overview

From the canonical texts of the Arts and Crafts Movement to the radical thinking of today's "DIY" movement, from theoretical writings on the position of craft in distinction to Art and Design to how-to texts from renowned practitioners, from feminist histories of textiles to descriptions of the innovation born of necessity in Soviet factories and African auto-repair shops...The Craft Reader presents the first comprehensive anthology of writings on modern craft.


Covering the period from the Industrial Revolution to today, the Reader draws on craft practice and theory from America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The world of craft is considered in its full breadth — from pottery and weaving, to couture and chocolate-making, to contemporary art, architecture and curation. The writings are themed into sections and all extracts are individually introduced, placing each in its historical, cultural and artistic context.


Bringing together an astonishing range of both classic and contemporary texts, The Craft Reader will be invaluable to any student or practitioner of Craft and also to readers in Art and Design.





AUTHORS INCLUDE:
Theodor Adorno, Anni Albers, Amadou Hâmpaté BÂ, Charles Babbage, Roland Barthes, Andrea Branzi, Alison Britton, Rafael Cardoso, Johanna Drucker, Charles Eames, Salvatore Ferragamo, Kenneth Frampton, Alfred Gell, Walter Gropius, Tanya Harrod, Martin Heidegger, Patrick Heron, Bernard Leach, Esther Leslie, W. R. Lethaby, Lucy Lippard, Adolf Loos, Karl Marx, William Morris, Robert Morris, László Moholy-Nagy, Stefan Muthesius, George Nakashima, Octavio Paz, Grayson Perry, M. C. Richards, John Ruskin, Raphael Samuel, Ellen Gates Starr, Debbie Stoller, Alexis de Tocqueville, Lee Ufan, Frank Lloyd Wright

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781350092648
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	12/12/2018
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	672
Product dimensions:	7.57(w) x 9.64(h) x 1.33(d)

About the Author

Glenn Adamson is Deputy Head of Research and Head of Graduate Studies at the Victoria and Albert Museum. He is author of Thinking Through Craft and co-editor of the Jourbanal of Modern Craft

Table of Contents

31. M. C. Richards, Centering * 32. Olivia Emery, Craftsman Lifestyle: The Gentle Revolution * 33. George Nakashima, The Soul of A Tree: A Master Woodworker's Reflections * 34. Edward S. Cooke, Jr., "The Long Shadow of William Morris: Paradigmatic Problems of Twentieth-Century American Furbaniture" * * PART 4: THE PRESENCE OF CRAFT IN THE AGE OF MASS PRODUCTION * Sectional introduction * 35. Salvatore Ferragamo, The Shoemaker of Dreams * 36. Susan J. Terrio, "Crafting Grand Cru Chocolates in Contemporary France" * 37. Sara Berry, "From Peasant to Artisan: Motor Mechanics in a Nigerian Town" * 38. Nathan Silver, "Modes and Resources of Adhocism" * 39. David T. Doris, "Destiny World: Textile Casualties in Southern Nigeria" * 40. Sergei Alasheev, "On a Particular Kind of Love and the Specificity of Soviet Production" * 41. Iftikhar Dadi, "Plastic Toys and Urban Craft in South Asia" * 42. Philip Tinari, 'Original Copies' * 43. Norbert Wiener, "What is Cybernetics?" * 44. Michael L. Dertouzos, "Individualized Automation" * 45. Malcolm McCullough, Abstracting Craft: The Practiced Digital Hand * 46. European Digital Artists Network (Richard Barbrook and Pit Schultz), "Digital Artisans Manifesto" * 47. Rafael Cardoso, "Craft Versus Design: Moving Beyond a Tired Dichotomy." * PART 5: CRAFT IN THEORY: WORKMANSHIP, ESSENCE, STATUS * Sectional Introduction * 48. David Pye, The Nature and Art of Workmanship * 49. Henri Focillon, "Forms in the Realms of Matter" * 50. Elsie Fogerty, Rhythm * 51. Amadou Hâmpaté BÂ, "African Art: Where the Hand Has Ears" * 52. Robert Farris Thompson, "Yoruba Artistic Criticism" * 53. Martin Heidegger, "The Thing" * 54. Kenneth Frampton, "Rappel a l'Ordre: The Case for the Tectonic" * 55. Esther Leslie, "Walter Benjamin: Traces of Craft" * 56. Theodor Adorno, "Functionalism Today * 57. R. G. Collingwood, "Art and Craft" * 58. Patrick Heron, "The Crafts in Relation to Contemporary Art" * 59. Harold Rosenberg, "Art and Work" * 60. John Bentley Mays, "Comment" * 61. Alison Britton, The Maker's Eye * PART 6: CRAFT IN ACTION: THE EVERYDAY, ART AND DESIGN * Sectional introduction * 62. Alfred Gell, "The Enchantment of Technology and the Technology of Enchantment" * 63. Patrick R. McNaughton, The Mande Blacksmiths * 64. Roland Barthes, "Toys" * 65. Lucy Lippard, "Making Something From Nothing (toward a Definition of Women's 'Hobby Art')," * 66. Rozsika Parker, "The Creation of Femininity" * 67. Carole Tulloch, 'There's No Place Like Home: Home Dressmaking and Creativity in the Jamaican Community of the 1940s to the 1960s' * 68. Tanya Harrod, "House-Trained Objects: Notes Towards Writing an Alternative History of Modern Art" * 69. Rose Slivka, "The New Ceramic Presence" * 70. Philip Leider, "How I Spent My Summer Vacation or, Art and Politics in Nevada, Berkeley, San Francisco and Utah" * 71. Robert Morris, "Some Notes on the Phenomenology of Making: The Search for

Editorial Reviews

The scope of the Craft Reader is breathtaking. Finally, here is a text that successfully contextualizes the diverse range of writings on craft. By gathering these thoughts into a clearly articulated set of arguments Adamson has helped to shape the field of craft discourse. This book will stand as an invaluable tool for craft scholars.” —Sandra Alfoldy, Nova Scotia College of Art & Design

“A much needed outline history of 19th and 20th century crafts within a wide social and cultural context, as well as an overview of the most important issues in crafts today.” —Stefan Muthesius, University of East Anglia

“This anthology confirms, in multiple ways across a century and a half of continual practice and debate, that the presence of craftsmanship is virtually inseparable from the design and realization of the material world.” —Kenneth Frampton, Columbia University

“Glenn Adamson's Craft Reader is the rarest of anthologies: at once an excellent and wide-reaching compilation of craft scholarship, and a provocative challenge to the same.” —Maria Elena Buszek, Kansas City Art Institute

“The idea of craft has jumped to the forefront of creative work. The many young artisans now engaged in digital fabrication, tangible interfaces, and do-it yourself electronics may enjoy reflecting on the few who kept craft alive through the industrial night, and on those whose theories and practices belong in any technological age. This astute collection gives rich context to all such thought.” —Malcolm McCullough, University of Michigan

“Thought-provoking, revealing, opinionated, intelligent, accessible and comprehensive ... a huge achievement.” —Grant Gibson, Crafts Magazine

“This thick volume is a compendium of articles on contemporary craft. The subjects examined cover a period of time from the industrial revolution and the canonical texts of the movement "Arts & Crafts" until today. Course covers topics on the new esthetic ceramics or weight of tradition.” —[Translation from] Revista de Libros

From the Publisher

This book serves three important functions: (1) as a collection readily tailored for individual teaching needs; (2) as a reference work (enhanced by a brief, well-focused bibliography and strong index); and (3) as an effective assessment of the state of the field. The collection's generous critical reach renders the anthology useful to makers, researchers, and teachers.

CHOICE

Glenn Adamson's Craft Reader is the rarest of anthologies: at once an excellent and wide-reaching compilation of craft scholarship, and a provocative challenge to the same.

Kansas City Art Institute Maria Elena Buszek

The scope of the Craft Reader is breathtaking. Finally, here is a text that successfully contextualizes the diverse range of writings on craft. By gathering these thoughts into a clearly articulated set of arguments Adamson has helped to shape the field of craft discourse. This book will stand as an invaluable tool for craft scholars.

Nova Scotia College of Art & Design Sandra Alfoldy