Choosing Craft: The Artist’s Viewpoint is a collection of narratives that focuses on the history and practice of American craft following World War II. The words of artists and craftsmen are pulled from a number of sources and are arranged thematically. From basket making to woodworking, craftsmen from every field are represented as the editors paint a picture of craftsmanship in the United States.
The text is very well organized. Rather than presenting a strictly chronological history, Halper and Douglas divide the book into four sections: “Choosing Craft,” “Getting an Education,” “Making a Living,” and “Confronting Craft.” Each of these major divisions is further subdivided into secondary focuses. Within each of these sections, the narratives are presented in chronological order. This strategy allows the reader to focus on the overarching theory of the section, yet still follow somewhat of a chronological order to see how American craft has evolved since World War II.
Each section then focuses on a number of narratives from various artists. Each entry is preceded by a short introduction to both the artist and the source of the narrative piece. The narratives come from diverse sources, including the artists’ own writings, letters, and oral histories. Numerous black-and-white images decorate the pages of the text, giving the reader a much more tangible representation of many of the subjects or their work. As with any text of this type, some narratives are simply more compelling than others. Naturally, some artists I found to be quite intriguing, and other entries simply did not interest me as much.
Luckily, in those incidences where I found myself wanting to read more, several artists did contribute multiple entries in the book, but they are scattered over several sections. For instance, after reading her first narrative piece, I was intrigued by the work of Arline Fisch, a key figure in the field of art jewelry. Her narratives were scattered throughout the book, and if the reader simply reads the text as it is thematically arranged, getting a cohesive picture of the individual artist is somewhat difficult. That is not so much a criticism as it is a statement of the immense wealth of narratives the editors have collected. The text is focused on the whole field of craftsmanship, not necessarily the works of individual artists. Luckily, the book contains a clear table of contents and a thorough index, allowing readers to locate entries on specific artists, if they so choose. In a similar vein, readers who are interested in a certain field of craftsmanship, such as woodworking or blacksmithing, will find themselves searching the index for narratives pertaining to these fields.
Still, it is hard to criticize the editors for this minor issue. They chose to present a holistic view of craftsmanship instead of focusing on its various parts. They simply had a wealth of material to integrate, and the organizational theme that they chose is completely logical. All fields of craft are represented, and no field, or individual artist, dominates the text. This collection forces the reader, in a positive fashion, to look more deeply at American craftsmanship and the very talented people who helped define it. I came to see people I previously thought of as “workers” as “artists.” I left this book with a much greater understanding of post-war American craft and a deeper appreciation of the various fields of craftwork and the people who have shaped its history.
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[Review length: 571 words • Review posted on November 3, 2009]