This volume features 21 essays and critical commentaries by acclaimed Canadian practitioners, educators and curators, demonstrating the range of critical thought about craft as presented in symposiums, exhibition catalogues and art journals. Over 40 full-colour photographs of works in craft media including fibre, ceramics, metal, wood and 'new materials' accompany the essays. The texts in this volume explore the conceptual, social and cultural significance of craft practice today, and describe new initiatives in conceptualising craft practices in contemporary life. Essays by prominent academics and theorists such as Sandra Alfoldy, Paul Mathieu, Arlene Oak, and Kirsty Robertson discuss craft in terms of political and social activism, gender theory, semiotics and aesthetics, analysing shifting boundaries between craft, fine art and design. Artists Mackenzie Frere, Murray Gibson and Ruth Scheuing discuss their own work, providing insight into the relationship between skill, technology, history and personal expression. The diversity of contemporary craft practice is well-represented in essays by Mireille Perron, Shannon Stratton, Glenn Allison and others, whose thoughtful analyses raise challenging questions about craft practice today. This volume substantiates academic advancement of craft curricula and provides an authoritative springboard for debate and discussion among craft practitioners, educators, curators and collectors.
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