A Theory of Craft (2009)

Howard Risatti

Published:	2009, September 15
Authors:	Howard Risatti
Publishers:	Univ of North Carolina Press
Pages:	346
Print type:	BOOK

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.