Contemporary Crafts explores craft practices in both North America and Britain, revealing an astonishingly rich and diverse picture of artisanal work today.



The book ranges across both urban and rural crafts and analyses how the country/city dichotomy creates differing approaches, practices and objects. Analysed in the context of their environment and its localised history, crafted objects are shown to embody or critique particular urban/rural myths and traditions.



Covering both traditional and cutting-edge crafts from the small-scale domestic to large outdoor works, Contemporary Crafts demonstrates how craftspeople today are responding to the changing creative contexts of culture and history.

About the author

Dr Imogen Racz is Senior Lecturer at Coventry University, England, teaching contextual studies across the fine and applied arts.

Contents

Introduction

1: Contemporary Crafts and Cultural Myths

2: Contemporary Arts and Crafts-makers in Rural England

3: The Artisan Tradition in Rural America

4: Critique and Embodiment in Rural England

5: Material, Space and Place in America

6: Urban Crafts in America

7: Urban Crafts in England

8: Crafts in the Environment (America)

9: Crafts in the Environment (England)

Afterword