Craft Perception and Practice, Vol III

This third and final volume in the Craft Perception and Practice series features 21 essays and critical commentaries by acclaimed Canadian practitioners, educators and curators, demonstrating the range of critical thought about craft as presented in symposiums, exhibition catalogues and art journals. Over 40 full-colour photographs of works in craft media — including fibre, glass, ceramics, metal, wood and “new materials” — accompany the essays. The texts in this volume explore the conceptual, social and cultural significance of craft practice today, and describe new initiatives in conceptualizing craft practices in contemporary life. Essays by prominent academics and theorists such as Paul Mathieu (2007 Saidye Bronfman Award winner), Sandra Alfoldy, Arlene Oak, and Kirsty Robertson discuss craft in terms of political and social activism, gender theory, semiotics and aesthetics, analyzing shifting boundaries between craft, fine art and design. Artists Mackenzie Frère, Murray Gibson and Ruth Scheuing discuss their own work, providing insight into the relationship between skill, technology, history and personal expression. The diversity of contemporary craft practice is well-represented in essays by Mireille Perron, Shannon Stratton, Glenn Allison and others, whose thoughtful analyses raise challenging questions about craft practice today. Volume III of Craft Perception and Practice substantiates academic advancement of craft curricula and provides an authoritative springboard for debate and discussion among craft practitioners, educators, curators and collectors.

“This final volume of the important Craft Perception and Practice series is filled with a powerful mixture of established and emerging voices in the Canadian craft community and offers an exciting glimpse of future directions for the field.”— Sandra Alfoldy, PhD, Assistant Professor of Craft History, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design