The Work of Craft: An Inquiry into the Nature of Crafts and Craftsmanship

by Carla Needleman

The Work of Craft is a profound meditation on the relationship between craft and craftsman. Focusing in turn on pottery, weaving, and woodcarving, and grounding her insights in her own experiences as a potter, Carla Needleman shows that the basic material every craftsman works with is himself
or herself. The stuff between one's hands-the clay, the wood, the wool-responds to the quality of one's inner state. The product of one's work is not just an object but a way of being. Thus, the exploration of a craft is-like this book- an exploration of the processes of life itself.

Genres: Nonfiction, Crafts

160 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 1993

Reviews

[Audra]

Some excellent insights into the struggle of the modern craftsperson with understanding the why of traditional craft. Sometimes veers into a little too much navel gazing, but at least she's aware of her naval gazing.

[Lake Lady]

a small book with a LOT between the covers. It's about a whole lot more than just making things, it's about a way of life