Crafting Modernism: Midcentury American Art and Design - Hardcover

Crafting Modernism: Midcentury American Art and Design is an in-depth examination of the American studio craft movement in the decades following World War II, with a focus on the major mediums (clay, wood, fiber, metal, jewelry, and glass) favored by the greatest craftspeople of the period. Published to coincide with an exhibition opening in October 2011 at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, this book explores the origins of the studio craft movement, the international influences that helped it grow in this country and abroad, and its convergence with the fine arts and design. This examination of the movement in the postwar years reveals how a new generation of craftspeople began to express cultural identity and artistic innovation through their work, which led to a proliferation of the craft movement in museums and exhibitions worldwide. A few of the many artists represented include Dale Chihuly, Charles and Ray Eames, Wharton Esherick, George Nakashima, and Peter Voulkos.

MAD curator and director of the Craft Revolution exhibition Jeannine Falino will work with a wide variety of contributors who will each write essays for the book. Contributors include the curators Jennifer Scanlan and Lowery Stokes Sims, both of MAD, as well as selected curators and scholars in the field from across the country.