Extra/Ordinary: Craft and Contemporary Art

by Maria Elena Buszek (Editor), Dennis Stevens

Contemporary artists such as Ghada Amer and Clare Twomey have gained international reputations for work that transforms ordinary craft media and processes into extraordinary conceptual art, from Amer’s monumental stitched paintings to Twomey’s large, ceramics-based installations. Despite the amount of attention that curators and gallery owners have paid to these and many other conceptual artists who incorporate craft into their work, few art critics or scholars have explored the historical or conceptual significance of craft in contemporary art. Extra/Ordinary takes up that task. Reflecting on what craft has come to mean in recent decades, artists, critics, curators, and scholars develop theories of craft in relation to art, chronicle how fine-art institutions understand and exhibit craft media, and offer accounts of activist crafting, or craftivism. Some contributors describe generational and institutional changes under way, while others signal new directions for scholarship, considering craft in relation to queer theory, masculinity, and science. Encompassing quilts, ceramics, letterpress books, wallpaper, and textiles, and moving from well-known museums to home workshops and political protests, Extra/Ordinary is an eclectic introduction to the “craft culture” referenced and celebrated by artists promoting new ways of thinking about the role of craft in contemporary art. Contributors . Elissa Auther, Anthea Black, Betty Bright, Nicole Burisch, Maria Elena Buszek, Jo Dahn, M. Anna Fariello, Betsy Greer, Andrew Jackson, Janis Jefferies, Louise Mazanti, Paula Owen, Karin E. Peterson, Lacey Jane Roberts, Kirsty Robertson, Dennis Stevens, Margaret Wertheim

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Crafts

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Maria Elena Buszek is a critic, curator, and Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Colorado, Denver. She is the author of the book Pin-Up Grrrls: Feminism, Sexuality, Popular Culture, also published by Duke University Press. She has written for magazines and journals including BUST, Art in America, Photography Quarterly, and TDR: The Journal of Performance Studies.

Reviews

[AdultNonFiction Teton County Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

TCL Call# borrowed via ILL

Suzanne - 5 stars
For those who relish the theory behind the stodgy categories separating fine art, design and craft -- this is a must read. It breaks through the barriers with a set of essays by noted writers/thinkers in the field. No longer are knitting and painting on far ends of the continuum and Maria Elena has done a really good job of helping us all understand better the new world order between art and craft.

[B. Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of highly readable essays on craft. I wanted to get more exposure on craft discourse, and this book came at craft from multiple angles. My favorite essay by far was the one on quilts, as it reinforced previous readings that I have done, while offering some startling new insights.

I also appreciated the essay with the connection between craft & queer theory. Much to chew over there.

All in all, I'm glad I read this, and I have much to think about.

[Lani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up at the Renwick Gallery during the Wonder exhibit. I skimmed through several chapters/pieces, but did enjoy the parts most explicitly about craft. A bit to academic for someone who hasn't studied art at all, but I enjoyed reading it.

[Marilyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

more pictures less words would be sweet.