Objects for Use: Handmade by Design

Master knife makers, wood craftsmen, basket makers, ceramics and textiles designers, glassblowers, surfboard and dogsled makers, metalsmiths and a host of other artisans have their day in Objects for Use: Handmade by Design, edited by Paul J. Smith, director emeritus of the American Craft Museum, which will house an exhibit by the same name. There are essays by the editor and Akiko Busch, studio profiles of 25 artists and thick sections on ""Objects for Food and Dining"" and ""Objects for Interior Space,"" with 375 illustrations (350 full-color) representing approximately 200 artists. This handsome volume provides an overview of the contemporary American craft world, situating it in an artistic and industrial history. Smith cites European influences and important centers of American craftsmanship like Black Mountain College and Rochester Institute of Technology. (Nov.)