By Craft is Political: Economic, Social and Technological Contexts

Throughout the twenty-first century, various craft practices have experienced a resurgence across the Western world. In Craft is Political, D. Wood argues that this resurgence is a direct response to and critique of the particular economic, social and technological context in which we live. Just as Ruskin and Morris viewed craft and its ethos in the 1800s as a kind of political opposition to the Industrial Revolution, Wood contends that craft activities are often today practiced either as a kind of therapy, out of economic necessity, as a rejection of mass production's waste and perceived lack of meaning or out of a desire to be unique or more sustainable. Wood also argues that craft has in general been neglected in academia, and that as such a study of the topic in light of colonialism, post-colonialism, critical race theory and globalisation is overdue. A great diversity of case studies are included, from female craft in Pakistan and craft markets in New Zealand to Taiwanese ceramics and Finnish craft education. Craft is Political brings together authors from a variety of disciplines to consider politicised craft from a range of different perspectives. Review Craft is Political is craft with teeth bared. No hiding behind the trappings of commercial viability or neutrality in trying to fit in the space between fine art and hobby crafts. The global context of the book is a feat. The book is unapologetically political, words and work honed to a fine point, a needle whose eye the authors expertly thread. A collection of 16 essays and authors from across craft disciplines, the book itself is deceptively small, for all its dense ideas, compact into a slim volume. The text is foliage that catches our eye, and we must follow to the roots, the notes, for further reading. ― Studio MagazineD. Wood's book gathers together a global chorus of voices that demonstrate the political relevance of craft practice. The practices referenced in Craft is Political range from craftivism to tea ceremony, refugee embroidery, Mexican wood-carving and sheep farming. Underpinning this is a fabric of key theories, including feminism, labour politics, race theory, ethics of care and sustain-ability. This book extends the purpose of the handmade beyond a romantic reaction to industrialisation. It places it at the centre of issues that have global import today, particularly climate change -- Kevin Murray, Editor, Garland magazine, Australia Published On: 2021-01-08Craft is Political provides a thought-provoking and much-need global perspective on the political, economic, and social role of craft in the 21st century. -- Juliette MacDonald, Professor of Craft, History and Theory, University of Edinburgh, UK Published On: 2020-07-14Craft is Political is a compelling book that illuminates the many ways in which craft workers have engaged in forms of activism. The texts included here highlight inspiring moments of resistance, protest and collective production, while also offering thoughtful critical analysis. The book is especially noteworthy for the global perspectives of its contributors, as well as its diversity of practices and conceptual frameworks, which encourage readers to reflect on how craft might help us remake our world in a more ethical manner. -- Noni Brynjolson, Assistant Professor of Art History, University of Indianapolis, USAIn Craft is Political, D Wood offers a timely, fresh look at the power of craft to critique mainstream culture. Whereas the original theorists of craft such as John Ruskin, William Morris, and Yanagi Soetsu conceived of craft as a response to industrial capitalism, the essays in this volume shift the focus to a critique of neoliberalism during the Anthropocene. Locating the politics of craft in social context, practice, and product, the volume offers a way to think beyond craft as commodity to a wider ethical perspective that accounts for ecology, equity, and care. -- Edward S. Cooke, Jr.,