Crafting Modernism: Midcentury American Art and Design

Crafting Modernism: Midcentury American Art and Design is an in-depth examination of the American studio craft movement in the decades following World War II, with a focus on the primary media—clay, wood, fiber, metal, jewelry, and glass—favored by the greatest artisans of the era. Published in conjunction with the October 2011 opening of an exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, this book explores the origins of the studio craft movement, the international influences that helped it grow in this country and abroad, and its convergence with the fine arts and design.

This examination of the movement in the postwar years reveals how a new generation of artisans began to express cultural identity and artistic innovation through their work, leading to a proliferation of the craft movement in museums and exhibitions around the world. Some of the many artists represented include Dale Chihuly, Charles and Ray Eames, Wharton Esherick, George Nakashima, and Peter Voulkos.