Key Resources & Brief Annotated Bibliography
for MFA Docents
“Crafted: Objects in Flux presents work by an international, cross-generational selection of 41 artists, working individually or collaboratively. Each has chosen the language of craft as a strategy for contemporary artistic practice, and each is interested in how the crafted object can reflect today’s dynamic artistic landscape. In their works, they marry tradition to an expanded range of materials, ways of making, conceptual approaches, and modes of display. In doing so, they encourage us to question craft as being bound to a limited framework or definition in the context of art making, and to see it in new - and perhaps startling or contradictory - ways.”
Introductory Wall Text, Crafted
Annotated Bibliography of Key Print Materials
Adamson, Glenn. The Craft Reader. Oxford: Berg Publishers, 2010.
This anthology of writings on classic and contemporary craft covers a wide range of craft practice and theory, from America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Adamson curates an collection of critical texts, divided by theme and placed in context. This reading is useful for a general overview of the craft subject area. Available through the MFA Art of the Americas & Art of Europe Library, call number TT149 .C733 2010.
Adamson, Glenn. The Invention of Craft. London; New York: Bloomsbury,
2013.
2013.
This second, more current Adamson volume explores the origins of modern craft, and includes wide-ranging foci on the areas of wood carving, fashion, and design - all relevant to the items within Crafted. This volume is also available through the MFA Art of the Americas & Art of Europe Library, call number TT149 .C733 2010.
Auther, Elissa. String, Felt, Thread: the Hierarchy of Art and Craft in
American Art. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2010.
American Art. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2010.
Auther explores the many different aspects of fiber art and textiles within the American art world, discussing the divide between art and craft. Famous fiber artists are explored in the work, but concepts discussed are relevant to the select fiber works within Crafted, including Pierre Fouché, Chung-Im Kim, Grethe Sørensen, Astrid Krough, and Faig Ahmed. Available through the MFA Textile & Fashion Arts Library, call number N7433.9 .A98 2010.
Buszek, Maria Elena, ed. Extra/ordinary: Craft and Contemporary Art.
Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2011.
Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2011.
A compilation of essays by noted authors, Buszek's Extra/Ordinary explore the relevancy of handmade craft with artists and audiences today. Essays to pay particular attention to include Elissa Auther's "Wallpaper, the Decorative, and Contemporary Installation Art," and Jo Dahn's "Elastic/Expanding: Contemporary Conceptual Ceramics." Available at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Library, call number TT145 .E987 2011.
Organized around several themes of the use of wood in contemporary art, this exhibition catalog features the painted marquetry work of Alison Elizabeth Taylor, whose work is also in Crafted. The text will also be helpful in contextualizing the works of Henrique Oliveira, Jaehyo Lee, Joseph Walsh, and Christy Oates. Available at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Library, call number TT199.7 .A3356 2012.
D'Alton, Martina, ed. Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art, Craft,
and Design. New York: Museum of Arts and Design; New York: Monacelli, 2012.
and Design. New York: Museum of Arts and Design; New York: Monacelli, 2012.
Held, Peter, ed. Crafting a Continuum: Rethinking Contemporary Craft.
Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2013.
Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2013.
Perhaps the most closely related in terms of exhibition context to Crafted, Held's exhibition catalog and collected scholarly essays examine craft as action and idea. With photographs of included works, this is a critical exhibition catalog and read. While not available at either the MFA or SMFA Libraries, it is highly suggested that you locate a copy, either through FLO Interlibrary Loan or the BPL, if possible.
Scott, Paul. Ceramics and Print. London: Bloomsbury, 2013.
An update of the original 1995 version, Paul Scott's classic ceramics work includes exploration of new opportunities provided to the field by digital technologies, including 3D printing. Recommended reading especially for those interested in Jonathan Keep's 3D printed Sound Surface: Benjamin Britten Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes (2012/2014). Available at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Library, call number TT920 .S35 2013.
Sieber, Roy & Frank Herreman, eds. Hair in African Art and Culture. New
York: Museum for African Art, 2000.
York: Museum for African Art, 2000.
Sieber and Herreman's collection lends some historical perspective to Sonya Clark's much anticipated contribution to Crafted, The Hair Craft Project (2013). In addition to availability at the MFA Art of Asia, Africa & Oceania Library, call number GN419.13 .H35 2000, a condensed article is available in African Arts, available through JSTOR.
Thompson, W. D. A Guide to Poker Work. London: L. Upcott Gill, c. 1900.
A historical volume of significance in the field of pyrographics, Thompson's 1900 volume details instructions for amateurs in the art of fire writing - consequently lending some interesting historical insight into the practice. Available at the MFA Art of the Americas and Art of Europe Library, call number TT199.8 .T56.
Resources Available at the William Morris Hunt Memorial Library
ARTbibliographies Modern (ABM)
As “the premier source of information on modern and contemporary art,” ABM is a great choice for preliminary searches on any of the works or artists included in Crafted. ABM provides English and foreign language material, including abstracts of relevant journal articles, and art publications.
Design and Applied Arts Index (DAAI)
DAII is an abstract and index database that covers articles, news items, and reviews published in all areas of design and craft, with coverage from 1973 to present. Relevant subject coverage includes ceramics, glass, textiles, and computer aided design.
Artemis
The Artemis database is available for in-library use by request, and is particularly helpful when researching a particular object from the Museum’s collection. The Artemis database is used as a research tool that links Museum objects to books with references to the object.
Oxford Art Online
Use the Oxford Art Online encyclopedia to access a wide variety of artists biographies, subject entries, articles, and images across the discipline of art and art history. This resource is particularly useful for general overviews and definitions of particular artistic terms, themes, and genres.
Resources Available at the Boston Public Library
Art Full Text
Indexes and abstracts English language and some foreign language periodicals, yearbooks, and museum bulletins, from 1984 [indexing] and 1994 [abstracting] to present.
JSTOR
While JSTOR has full-text access to approximately 600 core scholarly journals, with volumes in the areas of art and art history, please keep in mind that current coverage has an embargo on the last 3-5 years. BPL card number and PIN are needed for access.
Oxford Art Online
If you are not able to make it in to the MFA Library to access our subscription, you can use the BPL’s Oxford Art Online with your BPL card number and PIN.
Websites of Interest
Ichikawa, Etsuko. “Pyrographs.com.” 2 December 2015. http://www.pyrographs.com/index.html
- Includes a brief explanation of the art form, as well as a short video of the artist working on some of her pyrographic drawings.
Fenway Libraries Online. “Online Catalog.” 2015.
- Museum of Fine Arts and SMFA resource records are held in the FLO catalog, accessible via the link above. Books and resources located at member institutions can be accessed as well, via interlibrary loan.
Museum of Contemporary Craft. 2015.
- Based in Portland, Oregon, the Museum was founded in 1937. An excellent example of an institution constantly exploring the definition and boundaries of craft.
Topics of Interest
Crafted features a wide variety of objects created by forty-one international and domestic artists, with varying materials. While each visitor's interests will likely vary, popular objects will likely include Christy Oates' E-Waste Project (2011), Etsuko Ishikawa's Trace 2012 (2012) and Trace 2112 (2012), and Nathan Craven's site-specific Poros (2015). With these in mind, suggested topics to research are the intersection of art and social media, pyrographics/fire writing, and site-specific installations. CAD/CAM-aided art, hairdressing as art, and 3D printing in art are also sure to be popular with visitors.
___________________________________________
Sincerely,
Anna Boutin
Art Librarian
William Morris Hunt Memorial Library
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
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