Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 745.5
EAN: 9781568987873
ISBN: 1568987870
Label: Princeton Architectural Press
Manufacturer: Princeton Architectural Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 176
Publication Date: 2008-10-04
Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press
Studio: Princeton Architectural Press

Faythe Levine traveled 19,000 miles to document what has emerged as a marriage between historical technique, punk culture, and the D.I.Y. ethos. For "Handmade Nation" (along with the documentary film of the same name, coming in 2009), she and Cortney Heimerl have selected 24 makers and 5 essayists who work within different media and have different methodologies to provide a microcosm of the crafting community. Participants in this community share ideas and encouragement through websites, blogs, boutiques, galleries, and craft fairs. Together they have forged a new economy and lifestyle based on creativity, determination, and networking. Twenty-four artists from Olympia, Washington to Providence, Rhode Island, and everywhere in between show their work and discuss their lives.

"Handmade Nation" features photographs of the makers, their work environment, their process, their work, and discussions of how they got their start and what motivates them.

Customer Rating:
Summary: diy magic
Comment: delightful to behold,
magical in its simplicity
all around good read and well done images to boot

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Book versus Movie
Comment: Moviegoers often get into a classic argument: which was better, the book or the movie. The introduction to this book explains that it is a companion to a forthcoming documentary. I eagerly await the film. Sensing the passion with which the authors approach their subject I think it might be a five-star film.

The book felt too shallow - as if it were not expected to stand alone. The artists featured in this book have substantial presences on the web, making their work easily accessible without the book. Because of this I was looking for what value was added by collecting their work in one place. The accompanying essays offer something new as do the photos of the artists in their work spaces. The all-too brief text on each artist is lacking. It doesn't add sufficient depth to what is already on the web. It feels like sound bites from a movie (which perhaps it is.)

The photography is good and the quality of the book is great (as always from Princeton Architectural Press.) The hand-drawn timeline at the beginning of the book is a delight. It is an example of the analysis and synthesis I hoped to find more of in this book.

This book would be great for someone just getting into the DIY world, but for those already immersed, I think the movie will be a richer experience.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Companion
Comment: I just received my book a few days ago and have already torn through it. It has a great balance of informative backgrounds about the artists involved with the companion documentary, soon to be released, and amazing visuals of the artists' work. I also really enjoyed the essays added throughout. I was especially excited to see one by Betsy Greer. I feel I have some knowledge about the artists' work that I would not have had if the book was not released. It also gives some insight on how the "New Wave of Craft" snowballed into what it is today. The timeline at the beginning of the book is also very illuminating.

---