A Theory of Craft: Function and Aesthetic Expression

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.

• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
• ISBN: 9781469600901
• Number of pages: 352
• Weight: 533g
• Dimensions: 235 x 146 x 20 mm