Material Perceptions

There are many ways to perceive and interpret contemporary craft objects - for instance, as works of representational art in materials like ceramics, glass, textile, metal or wood, or as functional, handmade everyday objects. In this publication, the editors have invited different voices in craft theory to investigate the perception of contemporary craft as a particular discourse and aesthetic vocabulary. According to the editors, contemporary crafts can benefit from being discussed as representations of reality that do not rely on the concept of autonomy. As such, neither do they rely on the conventional dualism between aesthetic objects and everyday things. The authors investigate the possibility to perceive craft objects from perspectives that relate to the aesthetic tradition of materialism.

Søren Kjørup is a philosopher who has written extensively on the philosophy of aesthetic. Glenn Adamson is Senior Scholar at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, and the author of numerous books and articles on contemporary crafts and design. Hilde Methi is an independent curator based in Kirkenes, where she was born. Her work investigates the relationship of her own locale to a larger geopolitical setting. Anders Ljungberg is a silversmith and professor of crafts at Konstfack University College of Art, Crafts and Design in Stockholm. Sarah R. Gilbert is an artist and Assistant Professor of Sculpture in the art field group at Pitzer College, Los Angeles. Martina Margetts is a Senior Tutor of Critical and Historical Studies at the Royal College of Art in London. She was Editor of Crafts magazine, and has curated a number of exhibitions for Britian's Crafts Council. Knut Astrup Bull is Senior Curator at the Design and Decorative Arts Department at the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo. André Gali is head of critical theory and publications at Norwegian Crafts, and co-founder of KUNSTforum.