Today’s interview is from our friends at Art Practical, where Bean Gilsdorf gets a chance to chat with Glenn Adamson, deputy head of research and head of Graduate Studies at the Victoria and Albert Museum, where he leads a graduate program in the History of Design. My interest in Glenn Adamson’s work began in 2006 with his essay “Handy-Crafts: A Doctrine,” which is included in[…..]

The contemporary art world – accepting as it may be of the most oblique artistic practices – still responds tentatively to artists engaging with notions of craft. Yet, at a time when the handmade – a once integral part of everyday life – has become a luxury, craft can serve as a potent commentary on our history and national identity. In Piece Work, an exhibition[…..]

Ai Weiwei is without a doubt one of the most intelligent makers negotiating the art/craft divide.  Ai Weiwei: Dropping the Urn at the Museum of Contemporary Craft in Portland, Oregon is his first museum exhibition on the west coast, and a fitting venue for an international contemporary artist engaged in a deep dialog with Chinese culture, art history, ceramics and craft.  The exhibition addresses ceramic[…..]

Foreclosed is the kind of show that makes it seem advantageous for artists to also be craftsmen. In contrast to the parallel movements of “post-skill art” on one hand and “sloppy craft” on the other, Alison Elizabeth Taylor‘s marquetry pieces at James Cohan Gallery are constructed with incredible skill. And—when materials connect meaningfully with imagery—they are outstanding examples of art that satisfyingly integrates workmanship and[…..]

The work of artist Rachel Owens acts as a metaphor to examine contemporary societal and governmental issues within the United States and its activities abroad. Last year, for an exhibition with ZieherSmith in New York City, the artist recreated a mythical fox-hunt in sculpture, complete with dogs, a rider, trophy heads and drawings made directly on The New York Times‘ articles. The fox-hunt is a[…..]