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Fewer, better things : the hidden wisdom of objects / Glenn Adamson.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York, NY : Bloomsbury Publishing, Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc., 2018Copyright date: 2018Description: vi, 257 pages : illustrations ; 22 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9781632869647
Subject(s): Genre/Form: DDC classification:
  • 745.4 ADA
Contents:
Introduction: Engaging with the objects around us -- Life on Pumpkin Creek -- A few words on craft -- The paper challenge -- Being "hands on" -- Tricks of the trade -- Tooling up -- Learning by doing -- Prototyping -- One thing for another -- Face to face -- Communities of respect -- Finding our way -- The contact zone -- The paradise of trust -- The view from the hardware store -- Time to pay attention -- The myth of the dumb object -- Going deep -- The way of tea -- All that is left -- Small worlds -- Fewer, better things -- To have and to hold -- Thinking things through -- Material science -- Handle... with care -- Anchor points -- The view from Tucumcari -- Thinking inside the box -- Material histories -- The itinerary of plastic -- A book of secrets -- Facts, not opinions -- Two castes, one people? -- Epilogue: The virtues of things.
Summary: "Fewer, Better Things explores the history of craft in its many forms, explaining how raw materials, tools, design, and technique come together to produce beauty and utility in handmade or manufactured items. Whether describing the implements used in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, the use of woodworking tools, or the use of new fabrication technologies, Adamson writes expertly and lovingly about the aesthetics of objects, and the care and attention that goes into producing them. Reading this wise and elegant book is a truly transformative experience."-- Provided by publisher.
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Status Date due Barcode
Standard Loan LSAD Library Main Collection 745.4 ADA (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Available 39002100678524

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

From the former director of the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, a timely and passionate case for the role of the well-designed object in the digital age.

Curator and scholar Glenn Adamson opens Fewer, Better Things by contrasting his beloved childhood teddy bear to the smartphones and digital tablets children have today. He laments that many children and adults are losing touch with the material objects that have nurtured human development for thousands of years. The objects are still here, but we seem to care less and know less about them.

In his presentations to groups, he often asks an audience member what he or she knows about the chair the person is sitting in. Few people know much more than whether it's made of wood, plastic, or metal. If we know little about how things are made, it's hard to remain connected to the world around us.

Fewer, Better Things explores the history of craft in its many forms, explaining how raw materials, tools, design, and technique come together to produce beauty and utility in handmade or manufactured items. Whether describing the implements used in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, the use of woodworking tools, or the use of new fabrication technologies, Adamson writes expertly and lovingly about the aesthetics of objects, and the care and attention that goes into producing them. Reading this wise and elegant book is a truly transformative experience.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: Engaging with the objects around us -- Life on Pumpkin Creek -- A few words on craft -- The paper challenge -- Being "hands on" -- Tricks of the trade -- Tooling up -- Learning by doing -- Prototyping -- One thing for another -- Face to face -- Communities of respect -- Finding our way -- The contact zone -- The paradise of trust -- The view from the hardware store -- Time to pay attention -- The myth of the dumb object -- Going deep -- The way of tea -- All that is left -- Small worlds -- Fewer, better things -- To have and to hold -- Thinking things through -- Material science -- Handle... with care -- Anchor points -- The view from Tucumcari -- Thinking inside the box -- Material histories -- The itinerary of plastic -- A book of secrets -- Facts, not opinions -- Two castes, one people? -- Epilogue: The virtues of things.

"Fewer, Better Things explores the history of craft in its many forms, explaining how raw materials, tools, design, and technique come together to produce beauty and utility in handmade or manufactured items. Whether describing the implements used in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, the use of woodworking tools, or the use of new fabrication technologies, Adamson writes expertly and lovingly about the aesthetics of objects, and the care and attention that goes into producing them. Reading this wise and elegant book is a truly transformative experience."-- Provided by publisher.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

  • Introduction: Engaging with the Objects Around Us (p. 1)
  • 1 Life on Pumpkin Creek (p. 11)
  • 2 A Few Words on Craft (p. 15)
  • 3 The Paper Challenge (p. 19)
  • 4 Being "Hands On" (p. 27)
  • 5 Tricks of the Trade (p. 31)
  • 6 Tooling Up (p. 34)
  • 7 Learning by Doing (p. 46)
  • 8 Prototyping (p. 52)
  • 9 One Thing for Another (p. 57)
  • 10 Face to Face (p. 65)
  • 11 Communities of Respect (p. 73)
  • 12 Finding Our Way (p. 76)
  • 13 The Contact Zone (p. 81)
  • 14 The Paradise of Touch (p. 90)
  • 15 The View from the Hardware Store (p. 95)
  • 16 Time to Pay Attention (p. 99)
  • 17 The Myth of the Dumb Object (p. 104)
  • 18 Going Deep (p. 109)
  • 19 The Way of Tea (p. 114)
  • 20 All That Is Left (p. 119)
  • 21 Small Worlds (p. 126)
  • 22 Fewer, Better Things (p. 136)
  • 23 To Have and to Hold (p. 143)
  • 24 Thinking Things Through (p. 151)
  • 25 Material Science (p. 157)
  • 26 Handle ... with Care (p. 162)
  • 27 Anchor Points (p. 174)
  • 28 The View from Tucumcari (p. 178)
  • 29 Thinking Inside the Box (p. 185)
  • 30 Material Histories (p. 191)
  • 31 The Itinerary of Plastic (p. 197)
  • 32 A Book of Secrets (p. 202)
  • 33 Facts, Not Opinions (p. 210)
  • 34 Two Castes, One People? (p. 217)
  • Epilogue: The Virtues of Things (p. 221)
  • Acknowledgments (p. 229)
  • Notes (p. 233)
  • Index (p. 249)

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Glenn Adamson is a senior scholar at the Yale Center for British Art and works across the fields of design, craft, and contemporary art. Until March 2016 he was the director of the Museum of Arts and Design in New York and has been head of research at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and curator at the Chipstone Foundation in Milwaukee. His books include Art in the Making (coauthored with Julia Bryan-Wilson) and The Craft Reader , among others. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

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