Material : making and the art of transformation / Nick Kary.
Publisher: White River Junction, Vermont : Chelsea Green Publishing, 2020Description: 1 online resourceContent type: text Media type: computer Carrier type: online resource001: 21561414ISBN: 9781603589338Subject(s): Handicraft -- PhilosophyAdditional physical formats: Print version:: MaterialDDC classification: 745.5 LOC classification: TT149Summary: "A master craftsperson explores the ways in which working with our hands reveals the essence of both our humanity and our relationship with the natural, material world In our present age of computer-assisted design, mass production and machine precision, the traditional skills of the maker or craftsperson are hard to find. Yet the desire for well-made and beautiful objects from the hands (and mind) of a skilled artisan is just as present today as it ever has been. Whether the medium they work with is wood, metal, clay or something else, traditional makers are living links to the rich vein of knowledge and skills that defines our common human heritage. More than this, though, many of us harbor a deep and secret yearning to produce something - to build or shape, to imagine and create our own objects that are imbued not only with beauty and functionality, but with a story and, in essence, a spirit drawn from us. Nick Kary understands this yearning. For nearly four decades he has worked on commission to make fine, distinctive furniture and cabinets from wood, most of it sourced near his home, in the counties of South West England. During this time, he has been both a teacher and a student; one who is fascinated with the philosophy and practice of craft work of all kinds. In Material, Kary takes readers along with him to visit some of the places where modern artisans are preserving, and in some cases passing on, the old craft skills. His vivid descriptions and eye for detail make this book a rich and delightful read, and the natural and cultural history he imparts along the way provides an important context for understanding our own past and the roots of our industrial society. Personal, engaging, and filled with memorable people, landscapes and scenes, Material is a rich celebration of what it means to imagine and create, which in the end is the essence of being human, and native to a place. As Kary puts it, "Wood and words, trees and people, material and ethereal - it is here I love increasingly to dwell.""-- Provided by publisher.| Item type | Current library | Collection | Call number | Copy number | Status | Date due | Barcode | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book | MAIN LIBRARY Book | 745.5 KAR (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | 1 | Available | 112149 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
"An important book, brimming with insight."--Nicholas Evans, author of The Horse Whisperer
A master craftsperson explores the ways in which working with our hands reveals the essence of both our humanity and our relationship with the natural, material world
In our present age of computer-assisted design, mass production and machine precision, the traditional skills of the maker or craftsperson are hard to find. Yet the desire for well-made and beautiful objects from the hands (and mind) of a skilled artisan is just as present today as it ever has been. Whether the medium they work with is wood, metal, clay or something else, traditional makers are living links to the rich vein of knowledge and skills that defines our common human heritage. More than this, though, many of us harbor a deep and secret yearning to produce something - to build or shape, to imagine and create our own objects that are imbued not only with beauty and functionality, but with a story and, in essence, a spirit drawn from us.
Nick Kary understands this yearning. For nearly four decades he has worked on commission to make fine, distinctive furniture and cabinets from wood, most of it sourced near his home, in the counties of South West England. During this time, he has been both a teacher and a student; one who is fascinated with the philosophy and practice of craft work of all kinds.
In Material, Kary takes readers along with him to visit some of the places where modern artisans are preserving, and in some cases passing on, the old craft skills. His vivid descriptions and eye for detail make this book a rich and delightful read, and the natural and cultural history he imparts along the way provides an important context for understanding our own past and the roots of our industrial society.
Personal, engaging, and filled with memorable people, landscapes and scenes, Material is a rich celebration of what it means to imagine and create, which in the end is the essence of being human, and native to a place. As Kary puts it, "Wood and words, trees and people, material and ethereal - it is here I love increasingly to dwell."
Perfect for fans of The Hidden Life of Trees or Norwegian Wood , Material is a rich, inspiring read for woodworkers, potters, craftspeople, bibliophiles and anyone who enjoys working with their hands.
"A master craftsperson explores the ways in which working with our hands reveals the essence of both our humanity and our relationship with the natural, material world In our present age of computer-assisted design, mass production and machine precision, the traditional skills of the maker or craftsperson are hard to find. Yet the desire for well-made and beautiful objects from the hands (and mind) of a skilled artisan is just as present today as it ever has been. Whether the medium they work with is wood, metal, clay or something else, traditional makers are living links to the rich vein of knowledge and skills that defines our common human heritage. More than this, though, many of us harbor a deep and secret yearning to produce something - to build or shape, to imagine and create our own objects that are imbued not only with beauty and functionality, but with a story and, in essence, a spirit drawn from us. Nick Kary understands this yearning. For nearly four decades he has worked on commission to make fine, distinctive furniture and cabinets from wood, most of it sourced near his home, in the counties of South West England. During this time, he has been both a teacher and a student; one who is fascinated with the philosophy and practice of craft work of all kinds. In Material, Kary takes readers along with him to visit some of the places where modern artisans are preserving, and in some cases passing on, the old craft skills. His vivid descriptions and eye for detail make this book a rich and delightful read, and the natural and cultural history he imparts along the way provides an important context for understanding our own past and the roots of our industrial society. Personal, engaging, and filled with memorable people, landscapes and scenes, Material is a rich celebration of what it means to imagine and create, which in the end is the essence of being human, and native to a place. As Kary puts it, "Wood and words, trees and people, material and ethereal - it is here I love increasingly to dwell.""-- Provided by publisher.
Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.
Reviews provided by Syndetics
CHOICE Review
An artful synthesis of memoir, interview, history, and object, Material provides a thoughtful exploration of media, processes, and context in the universe of handmade things. Kary (Plymouth Univ. and Schumacher College, UK) is a skilled craftsman and designer. In this book, he pursues his task through a series of conversations and reflections at once intimate and expansive. His approach, he states, is "to thoroughly immerse [himself] in the metaphors of the trade"; in doing so, he speaks directly to the spirit of the book--and its challenges. Kary is a generous thinker, adept at bringing together disparate ideas in provocative convergences. In his discussion of ceramics, for example, he juxtaposes the notions of terroir (understood as the flavor and savoring of place) and wabi-sabi (which he terms "a certain soul beyond the maker's skill"), addressing how artisans cultivate both a loss of creative control and a sense of mindfulness in engagements with medium and making. Key to Kary's theoretical base are poetical, sometimes balletic, evocations of the interplay of the senses. Though at times his descriptions veer toward literary self-indulgence, the general effect is compelling. Material is a meditation that inspires creative reflection and critical debate. Valuable as teaching tool. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers. --Bernard L. Herman, University of North CarolinaThere are no comments on this title.