By Hand: The Use of Craft in Contemporary Art

Softcover | 19.05 x 1.27 x 24.13 cm | 176 pp

Princeton Architectural Press | 2007 | 9781568989426 

In recent decades designers and artists have been returning to handmade work: hand lettering, hand drawing, hand sewing, and so on. From books to pillows to T-shirts to toys, their work defines an alternate view of contemporary design, with unique qualities antithetical to the ubiquity and soullessness of mass-produced and branded products. Personal craft is emphasised over perfection, and the personality of the artist is put forth as a key element of the finished product.

From Robert Conger's exquisitely detailed woven rugs to dynamo-ville's one-of-a-kind puppets to the hand-bound and hand-stitched publications of Evil Twin, it's obvious that these objects have been made with care and consideration.

By Hand is an international collection of 32 noteworthy craft artists that shows their work in detailed photography and insightful interviews.

From Kiki Smith's lovingly etched birds, to Barb Hunt's knitted land mines to Dynamoville's one-of-a-kind puppets, to Evil Twin's hand-stitched publications, the artworks in By Hand revel in the care and consideration of craft.