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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.