Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft, and Design

"Today's craft world has emerged as a marriage between historical technique, punk culture, and the DIY ethos, also influenced by traditional handiwork, modern aesthetics, politics, feminism, and art. It is no longer simply about cross-stitching samplers or painting floral scrolls on china. Instead, it embraces a vibrant movement of artists, crafters, and designers working in traditional and nontraditional media." "The heart of the new wave of craft is the community. Participants share ideas and encouragement through websites, bless, boutiques, galleries, and craft fairs. Together they have forged a new economy and lifestyle based on creativity, determination, and networking. Faythe Levine has traveled 19,000 miles to document the handmade scene in the film Handmade Nation, and she and Cortney Heimerl bring together the raw, fresh, and radical results in this comprehensive book. Twenty-four artists from Olympia, Washington, to Providence, Rhode Island, and everywhere in between show their work and discuss their lives. Texts by Andrew Wagner, Garth Johnson, Callie Janoff, Betsy Greer, and Susan Seal supply a critical view to the tight-knit community. For those who are a part of the emerging handmade nation, or just interested in viewing it from afar, this book is an essential introduction."--BOOK JACKET.