Be Shrewd! Have a Sneaky peak at our new Cunningly Clever Craft books

Critical craft : technology, globalization, and capitalism

306.45

From Oaxacan wood carvings to dessert kitchens in provincial France, Critical Craft presents thirteen ethnographies which examine what defines and makes craft in a wide variety of practices from around the world. Challenging the conventional understanding of craft as a survival, a revival, or something that resists capitalism, the book turns instead to the designers, DIY enthusiasts, traditional artisans, and technical programmers who consider their labor to be craft, in order to comprehend how they make sense of it. The authors ethnographic studies focus on the individuals and communities who claim a practice as their own, bypassing the question of craft survival to ask how and why activities termed craft are mobilized and reproduced. Moving beyond regional studies of heritage artisanship, the authors suggest that ideas of craft are by definition part of a larger cosmopolitan dialogue of power and identity. By paying careful attention to these sometimes conflicting voices, this collection shows that there is great flexibility in terms of which activities are labelled craft. In fact, there are many related ideas of craft and these shape distinct engagements with materials, people, and the economy. Case studies from countries including Mexico, Nigeria, India, Taiwan, the Philippines, and France draw together evidence based on linguistics, microsociology, and participant observation to explore the shifting terrain on which those engaged in craft are operating. What emerges is a fascinating picture which shows how claims about craft are an integral part of contemporary global change.

The creative entrepreneur : business made beautiful for artists, makers and designers

658.11 SEM

Calling all you artists, crafters, makers and designers - you have a gift! You know what makes a great product. Now you need to turn your vision into money. The Creative Entrepreneur is the ultimate guide to building a successful creative business on your terms. It takes you step by step through the process, from the seeds of your idea, giving you the encouragement and confidence to take action and steadily grow your business with intention. It's easier than ever to start your own business, but entrepreneurs - especially creatives - can feel overwhelmed and unsure of the right steps to move their business forward. The Creative Entrepreneur sets you on the right path, taking the stress out of business planning, and offering actionable, straightforward advice that you can refer back to again and again.

The maker movement manifesto : rules for innovation in the new world of crafters, hackers, and tinkerers

658.4063

YOU can create the next breakthrough innovation

A revolution is under way. But it's not about tearing down the old guard. It's about building, it's about creating, it's about breathing life into groundbreaking new ideas. It's called the Maker Movement, and it's changing the world.

Mark Hatch has been at the forefront of the Maker Movement since it began. A cofounder of TechShop--the first, largest, and most popular makerspace--Hatch has seen it all. Average people pay a small fee for access to advanced tools--everything from laser cutters and milling machines to 3D printers and AutoCAD software. All they have to bring is their creativity and some positive energy. Prototypes of new products that would have cost $100,000 in the past have been made in his shop for $1,000.

The Maker Movement is where all the next great inventions and innovations are happening--and you can play a part in it.

The Maker Movement Manifesto takes you deep into the movement. Hatch describes the remarkable technologies and tools now accessible to you and shares stories of how ordinary people have devised extraordinary products, giving rise to successful new business ventures. He explains how economic upheavals are paving the way for individuals to create, innovate, make a fortune--and even drive positive societal change--with nothing more than their own creativity and some hard work.

It's all occurring right now, all around the world--and possibly in your own neighborhood.

The creative spirit lives inside every human being. We are all makers. Whether you're a banker, lawyer, teacher, tradesman, or politician, you can play an important role in the Maker society.

So fire up your imagination, read The Maker Movement Manifesto--and start creating!

The real thing : essays on making in the modern world

709.04 HAR

Over thirty years, Tanya Harrod has written on craft for newspapers, magazines, and journals. As these essays show, there are no boundaries in her vision: art is considered in the light of craft, and craft in the light of art; design is present too – developing and sometimes separating from craft and art. In part these essays document the development of these shifts, looking always at the particular, vivid embodiment. The real thing is a surprising and substantial contribution to the literature of ‘making’.

Ceramics : contemporary artists working in clay

730.1 SIN

Contemporary artists around the world are turning to clay to shape their most innovative ideas into stunning works of art. These objects often have a practical function, but they also stand alone as conceptual artworks. Ceramics showcases approximately 30 contemporary artists whose work represents the radical transformation that this age-old medium has undergone in recent years. Imagine cups shaped like sea urchins, teapots that look like tissue paper, a terracotta typewriter. This volume is a vital guide to some of today s most exciting contemporary artists working in clay. Featuring the work of: Kjersti Johanne Barli (Norway); Laura Bird (Wales, United Kingdom); Stephen Bird (Australia); Kaye Blegvad (England, United Kingdom); Leah Goren (United States); Charlotte Hodes (England, United Kingdom); Julia Huteau (France); Rami Kim (Korea); Alex Sickling (England, United Kingdom); Brett Freund (United States); Emilie Halpren (United States); Ruan Hoffman (The Netherlands); Makoto Kagoshima (Japan); Courtney Reagor (United States); Tania Rollond (Australia); Renaud SauvE (Canada); Michelle Summers (United States); Eleonor BostrOm (United States); Nathalie Choux (France); Laurent Dufour (France); Ildiko Muresan and Flavia Marele (Romania); Laura Lasheras (Spain); Clair Loder (England, United Kingdom); Margaret Meehan (United States); Eun-Ha Paek (United States); Bonnie; Marie Smith (United States); Vipoo Srivilasa (Australia); Sarah Burwash (Canada); Jessica Hans (United States); Katy Krantz (United States); Maria Kristofersson (Sweden); Jennie Jieun Lee (United States); Rebekah Miles (United States); Joanna Powell (United States)

The great pottery throw down

738 WIL

The official companion to the BBC2 series The Great Pottery Throw Down. This vibrant illustrated book is the perfect companion for pottery enthusiasts and newcomers alike, offering a complete introduction to the world of ceramics. A compelling narrative takes readers on a fascinating journey through ceramic history, culture, art, craft and manufacture. Learn fascinating details about the materials, processes and skills involved, from throwing the perfect pot, to magical transformations in the kiln. Witness how the history of pottery charts the evolution of mankind, from ancient terracotta warriors to your coffee mug on the breakfast table. Be inspired by human creativity and craftsmanship, with tales of dynasties, scandals, industrialists, trailblazers, manufacturing moguls and artists. Showcased along the way is a range of beautiful pottery, from prehistoric clay figurines, to Meissen porcelain, and work by contemporary practitioners such as Grayson Perry, Antony Gormley and Edmund de Waal. Striking photographs and illustrations of techniques, work processes and finished pieces bring the artform and its rich heritage to life on the page.

Live form : women, ceramics, and community

738.09252 SOR

Ceramics had a far-reaching impact in the second half of the twentieth century, as its artists worked through the same ideas regarding abstraction and form as those for other creative mediums. Live Form shines new light on the relation of ceramics to the artistic avant-garde by looking at the central role of women in the field: potters who popularized ceramics as they worked with or taught male counterparts like John Cage, Peter Voulkos, and Ken Price. Sorkin focuses on three Americans who promoted ceramics as an advanced artistic medium: Marguerite Wildenhain, a Bauhaus-trained potter and writer; Mary Caroline (M. C.) Richards, who renounced formalism at Black Mountain College to pursue new performative methods; and Susan Peterson, best known for her live throwing demonstrations on public television. Together, these women pioneered a hands-on teaching style and led educational and therapeutic activities for war veterans, students, the elderly, and many others. Far from being an isolated field, ceramics offered a sense of community and social engagement, which, Sorkin argues, crucially set the stage for later participatory forms of art and feminist collectivism.

Handmade in Britain

745.0941 NOR

This important book forms part of the Handmade in Britain partnership between the V&A and the BBC. Published as the culmination of a year-long season of programming over three series, it explores the history of making in Britain, looking across all media within the decorative arts. Handmade in Britain expands on the programmes, featuring key objects and makers in the V&A's collection as well as contributions from contemporary practitioners. It traces Britain's status as an unsophisticated importer of luxury Renaissance goods, to becoming one of the leading worldwide exporters of decorative arts by the end of the nineteenth century, and discusses present-day making - particularly the relationship between industrialized and craft-based processes and practice. It also shows how the history of making in Britain is not a London-centric story, but one of regional centres across the country often suited to different manufacturers for specific reasons. Like the programmes, the book takes each tradition in turn, looking at ceramics, metalwork, wood, textiles and stained glass.

Objects of desire : a showcase of modern erotic products and the creative minds behind them

745.4 ORR

The world of erotic product design is revealed in this curated showcase of over 100 beautifully crafted objects and the creative minds behind them. The latest adult toys, jewelry, and accessories from leading companies, as well as intriguing prototypes, are featured. Each product, from high-tech gadgets to handcrafted pieces of art, is presented with concise descriptions in a minimal graphic format that emphasizes the flowing curves, materiality, and overall design of the products. Once taboo, sex toys are in the midst of a design revolution. Including a foreword by Sarah Forbes, curator at New York City’s Museum of Sex, and in-depth interviews with leading sex bloggers, shop owners, and designers, the book will appeal to both fans of good design as well as “lovers” of good design interested in acquiring these pieces for their own collections.

The craft companion

745.5 BAR

Once the domain of the domestic, craft has now infiltrated every creative sphere – including food, fashion, fine art and architecture. If this craft renaissance is indicative of a new wave of keen creatives, then The Craft Companion is the ultimate guide to navigating the new craft frontiers. From appliqué and baskets to weaving and zakka, The Craft Companion features over 30 new and old crafting techniques. Each chapter includes a short historical overview of the craft, with design notes and explanations of key techniques helping beginners to get started. Tools and methods are explored through a combination of hand-drawn illustrations and photography. A range of project ideas, including one basic project for each craft and a further Top 5 selection, will kickstart the reader’s creativity, while examples of inspirational work from contemporary artisans display the possibilities of each medium.
With over 20 years in the craft and design industries, Ramona Barry and Rebecca Jobson are bona fide craft gurus. Readers will love Ramona and Rebecca’s witty voice and will be inspired to experiment and dip their toes into new crafts.

Contemporary British crafts : the Goodison gift to the Fitzwilliam museum

745.50941 GAM

The remarkable gift of contemporary crafts bestowed on the Fitzwilliam Museum by Nicholas and Judith Goodison is the subject of this highly illustrated book. Built up over two decades, it numbers over 120 outstanding examples of contemporary ceramics, glass, furniture, woodwork, metalwork and jewellery by artists such as Martin Smith, Philip Eglin, Anna Dickinson, David Reekie, Alan Peters, David Poston, Adam Paxon and John Makepeace. The book contains a conversation between the editor and Nicholas Goodision, a fully illustrated catalogue, and a glossary of materials and techniques. It tells us much about the craft world and is a record of skill, great beauty and elegance of design.

Art and Craft Photography: How to Photograph Your Own Work. Pottery, Sculpture, Jewelery, Glass, Paintings

778.935 GRI

This book tells you how to photograph your own work. “Art and craft photography” by Brian Griffiths is a “must have for any serious 3D and 2D professional artist. This book shows you how, in easily understandable language, to take amazingly professional images of your work; pottery, sculpture, jewellery, glass and paintings, you can produce studio quality pictures at home with no special equipment, just an ordinary digital camera and lamps from around the house. Suitable for complete beginners.
Top quality images are essential to sell, promote, and publicise your work, but employing a photographer is costly and time consuming. Learning how to do it yourself is surprisingly simple and easy. Brian is a professional photographer and runs many courses on photography for complete beginners to more advanced classes. In this book you will be guided through the basics from a to z: ; including choosing equipment, the best camera to use, camera settings, how to get the best out of your camera, exposure – how to get great shots every time, the studio set up, how to use ordinary lamps from around the house to light your work and take the photo, basic editing using Photoshop and how to use your image on the web, social media and print.

Fashion and textile business entrepreneurship : with information directory : the definitive guide for fashion and textile entrepreneurs, artists, designers, lecturers, teachers, craftsmen, students, fashion and textile enthusiasts.

391.0047 BRO

Starting your own business and working for yourself is without doubt very challenging. It may mean forfeiting a stable income, job security, or it may be a case of wanting to take greater control of your life rather than life taking control of you. Fashion and Textile Business Entrepreneurship is an easy to read guide that is comprehensive in providing valuable information, profiles, interviews, references and practical tips relating to entrepreneurship in the Fashion and Textile industry. This book guides you step by step through the process of setting up your own venture, from starting up and marketing, to establishing and expanding your business. Features include profiles, quotes and interviews with many successful designers and business entrepreneurs, providing professional insights into their careers and success. In addition, this book includes the Fashion and Textile Information Directory providing a wealth of information and contacts listing over 1000 entries: • Business Advisory and Support Services • Exhibition Organisers • Fashion and Textile Exhibitions and Trade Fairs • Grants, Awards, Finance and Funding Opportunities • Legal Support; Museums, Research Centres, Collections and Galleries • Organisations, Guilds, Networks and Associations • Recruitment Agencies • Trend Forecasting Services and Consultancies. Written for entrepreneurs, artists, designers and fashion and textile enthusiasts, it will also be a useful reference for graduates, students, lecturers, teachers, careers and business advisors.