Product Description

For two centuries, Americans have made stunning, utilitarian objects by hand. Each tells a story—about the person who laid his or her hands to the work; about the historical moment in which it was created; and about the political mood, community, and cultural forces that gave rise to that design.

The only book of its kind and the companion book to the PBS series of the same name, Craft in America highlights the work of America’s most interesting craft artists past and present. Illustrated with more than 200 commanding images and signature objects from furniture, wood, ceramics, and glass to fiber, quilts, jewelry, metal, and basketry, this definitive work shows how crafts, long admired for their marriage of functionality and creativity, also reflect our nation’s history and the remarkable people who passed on their traditions.

The last two hundred years have brought extraordinary transformation to America—not just in the landscape and culture but also to the myriad communities that crisscross the continent. Organized by the societies in which our many craft traditions originated, Craft in America introduces the virtuoso craftspeople who expressed and elevated the values and ideals of their groups—ideals that have become quintessentially American. From American Indians and enslaved Africans who worked with indigenous materials to religious people such as Shakers, whose clean lines reflect adherence to simplicity; from designers of the Arts and Crafts Movement for whom handmade objects held a moral integrity and righteousness to the government-sponsored WPA artists who created in the service of their nation, to today’s studio artists reimagining meaning and methods, Craft in America unfolds a rarely examined side of our history.
Visceral, important, and seductively beautiful, and with a prologue from former president Jimmy Carter, Craft in America showcases some of the most important American objects. In these pages, you will discover how handcrafted objects are not only essential to daily life but how they are also a culture’s tribute to its own character and place in history. They embody the desire to remember, reflect, and connect, serving as bridges among individuals, community, and the environment.

Craft in America will take you on an aesthetic adventure through the evolution of craft and reveal what makes American crafts uniquely ours. Ultimately, this is the story of how enduring handmade objects both unite and define us as Americans.

CRAFT IN AMERICA, INC., is a nonprofit organi-zation based in Los Angeles that is dedicated to the exploration, preservation, and celebration of craft and its impact on our nation’s cultural heritage. The mission of Craft in America is to document and advance the original handcrafted works through programs in all media made accessible to all Americans.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #183736 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-09
• Released on: 2007-10-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Review
...well-illustrated and meticulously documented...recommended as a companion to American history itself. -- San Francisco Chronicle

A wondrous companion to read over and over and over again. -- Barbara Jacobs -- BookList, October 1, 2007

About the Author
JO LAURIA has organized numerous exhibitions, produced and directed documentary films, and written several books on design and decorative arts.

STEVE FENTON is a freelance writer and longtime collector and scholar of craft. The winner of numerous advertising awards (including the CLIO), he lives in New York City.

Customer Reviews

A Stunning Achievement
Superb. To say that CRAFT IN AMERICA is a brilliant work of art would not do it justice. It is more than that: it is itself a marvelous realization of the fusion of art and craft. As a book publisher myself, I am in awe of the successful melding of the many elements that must complement one another to make a truly masterpiece of a book. This is that rare "coffee table" book with an intelligent, gracefully written text that makes a compelling read. Every image in the book appears to have been selected with care and sensitivity and illustrates so well the points discussed in the text. But as strong as the visuals and the text are, a book with this subject matter must itself stand as an example of superior design. And it does. Every facet of the book reflects the professionalism of the editors, the creative geniuses they treat in these pages, and the craft of book publishing and production. It is a gem.

Bill Haney

Craft in America
Outstanding! Thoroughly enjoyed the engrossing writing style. It tells the fascinating story of how integral craft was in the the development of a nation and its people. And, I could not agree more with President Jimmy Carter when he wrote in the prologue: I invite you to read this book, consider the outstanding objects these artists have imagined, and partake in what could well be one of the most satisfying times of your life.
Jackie Mirabel

As Gorgeous as the Works it Celebrates
Wow. This is the kind of book that helps to put everything into its proper perspective. By delineating art works not through medium, but instead through source and motivation, the authors have managed to place the American Craft Movement into its proper place: as a profoundly important expression of fundamental spirit. The craftspersons are profiled are honored through glorious photos and inspiring texts. The various Movements and institutions of teaching are shown to have had as sweeping an effect on our national ways of seeing as the better-known European ones like De Stijl and the Bauhaus.


This book is the accompaniment of the Peabody Award winning Craft in America PBS series, and a touring national exhibit. I can recommend it for both the novice and the expert and everyone in between since it will be the book everyone will refer back to, and the one you wish you had more copies of so you could loan it out to all your friends.