A Theory of Craft
Function and Aesthetic Expression
Howard Risatti
Publisher: University of North Carolina Press
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Published: 09/2009
Pages: 352
Subject: Crafts and Hobbies, Design, Art
| University of North Carolina
Print ISBN: 9.78E+12
eBook ISBN: 9780807889077
DESCRIPTION
What is craft? How is it different from fine art or design? In A
Theory of Craft, Howard Risatti examines these issues by
comparing handmade ceramics, glass, metalwork, weaving, and
furniture to painting, sculpture, photography, and machine-made
design from Bauhaus to the Memphis Group. He describes craft as
uniquely blending function with a deeper expression of human values
that transcend culture, time, and space. Craft must articulate a
role for itself in contemporary society, says Risatti; otherwise it
will be absorbed by fine art or design, and its singular approach
to understanding the world will be lost.