Glenn Adamson Knihy

The catalogue to accompany the first museum exhibition to examine the digitally crafted works of Wendell Castle, acclaimed figure of the American art furniture movement.

Outside Louisville, Kentucky, lies Great Meadows, the home of Episcopal priest and contemporary art collector Al Shands. Completed in 1988, the home that he and his late wife Mary built was designed by architect David Morton and tailored to be as outstanding an artifact as each of the works it houses. The collection, accumulated over a period of thirty-five years, encompasses major handicrafts and ceramic objects and has grown to focus on large-scale sculpture and site-specific commissioned work by Petah Coyne, Sol LeWitt, Maya Lin, Stephen Vitiello, and Betty Woodman. The volume explores the complex subtlety of Morton’s building, the beauty of the surrounding landscape, as well as the numerous unconventional surprises and tangents within the collection, which testify to the Shands’s expertise and unerring intuition.

Liza Lou's installations, crafted entirely from beads, explore significant themes such as women's roles, community dynamics, and the appreciation of labor. This comprehensive book delves into her acclaimed work, highlighting the intricate details and cultural implications of her art, showcasing how it challenges perceptions and celebrates craftsmanship.

The exhibition at Chatsworth House features the innovative works of sixteen contemporary designers, highlighting the dialogue between historical artifacts and modern artistry. Captivating photography and insightful essays reveal how these artists, including Michael Anastassiades and Wendell Castle, draw inspiration from the estate’s rich design history. The juxtaposition of contemporary pieces, such as LED lighting and intricately carved sculptures, within the historic setting fosters a unique exploration of design evolution and the interplay of past and present.

Glenn Adamson extends his ongoing theoretical discussion of skilled work back in time and across numerous disciplines, searching out the origins of modern craft. Locating its emergence in the period of the industrial revolution, he demonstrates how contemporary practice can be informed through the study of modern craft in its moment of invention.

Today's artists have an unprecedented level of choice with regard to materials and methods available to them, yet the processes involved in making artworks are rarely addressed in books or exhibitions on art. This title sets out a history of trends in artistic production and the possible catalysts for the proliferation of production strategies.

"Polly's use of various fabrics - stained and dyed - and more recently glazed ceramics, is beguiling and refreshing in its offerings of simple pleasures.In this way, she subtly assumes a political, and feminist, position, challenging pomposity, notions of entitlement and hierarchies in cultural practice - against high fine art - to suggest an egalitarianism in society across the board" - Cornerhouse website.

Art collectors and collections make up an important part of the contemporary arts and crafts infrastructure. Not only do museums and art collectors improve an artist’s financial situation by buying their work; just as important is the symbolic meaning of the collection. To be included in the ‘right’ collection or museum can give the artist a high level of recognition; at the same time the purchase secures the work a place in a system whose aim is to preserve the work for the future. Collecting is a selection process which has economic, social, political and art historical implications and consequences for the artist, the art scene and the public. In On Collecting the authors look at collecting from public, private and personal perspectives to shed light on some of the structures that are responsible for how artworks become ‘collectable’ and thus available to the public in museums and public spaces.

Der Werkkatalog Tunnel zeigt Arbeiten des Keramikers Johannes Nagel (*1979) aus den Jahren 2018 bis 2023. Die meisten dieser Objekte wurden von dem Künstler als Hohlräume, als negative Formen, mit den Händen in den Sand gegraben und anschließend mit flüssigem Porzellan abgeformt und freigelegt. Der Künstler prägt laut Esther Niebel den Objekten auf diese Weise seine eigene Präsenz ein. Neben den außergewöhnlichen Formen, die so entstehen, nehmen auch die ausdrucksstarken Farben und die Bemalung der Objekte eine zentrale Rolle im Werk Nagels ein. Die durch Grabung und Guss geschaffenen Arbeiten werden, begleitet von Essays, in ganzseitigen Fotografien als Stakkato der Objekte und Ideen präsentiert.