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.

• | Author: Howard Risatti
• | Publisher: University of North Carolina Press
• | Publication Date: Feb 01, 2013
• | Number of Pages: 352 pages
• | Binding: Paperback or Softback
• | ISBN-10: 1469600900
• | ISBN-13: 9781469600901