The New Artisans arrived through my door with a satisfying thud on the carpet. On my birthday last month Thames & Hudson asked me to review a new book by Olivier Dupon, “profiling over seventy Artisans and their stylish, whimsical and one of a kind wonders from all over the world”, to say I was chuffed is an understatement.
So it’s been a busy month and I have finally invented a time bubble to sit down and give my undivided attention, consideration and appreciation to the magical creations that the book claims to behold. With its plush exterior featuring ‘Pudding head’s’ stunning flower and stag design on the front cover, it lures even the most reluctant homemaker’s attention and addiction to all things beautiful and kitsch from across a room. Like yarn to a crocheter, I’m hooked!
Picking the book up I am satisfied by the generous portion of over 300 pages and 800 colour illustrations that peek into the delectable life and work of a contemporary crafter. The book has a lovely fresh layout, with gorgeous photography exploring the studios, workbenches, inspirations, materials and depicting designers toiling away in their element, bringing their personal yet unique execution of a long held creative endeavor to light.
In the introduction Olivier recognises the “quiet yet assertive movement” that has taken over the recent generation and resurrected the skills and crafts of the previous. He discusses the common shared ground of the “dedicated” and how they “work laboriously and passionately, experimenting”. It is this that draws me into the book, it is the “shared ground” that reaffirms in my mind what my appreciation of craftsmanship really is, and how every time you see your creativity exhausted it pushes the boundaries of design and your own capabilities.
Flicking through the book there are countless amounts of eye candy, which make it the perfect loose-leaf tea and cup cake party accessory. Delving in I am encapsulated by some truly gob smacking individuals and their personal processes. My favourite introductions are by far Lyndie Douthe, swiftly followed by Melanie Bilenker.
Lyndie’s work is everything I want my work to be, captivating, exciting, spellbinding! You want someone to see your work and gasp “oh my god that’s, amazing, soooo cool, beautiful, I want, I want!” Lyndies collection of excellent original embellished specimens makes me say that out loud. “ Welcome to a new kind of wonderland. It is French and in Paris. In this unique and captivating world, fabrics and paper combine to form poetic, mysterious and sometimes bizarre array of naturalistic wonders”, Olivier’s words not mine, but I couldn’t agree more. Must haves are the “All Seeing” sequined eyes, and toxic mushrooms contained in ornamental glass jars. Swoon…., thud!
Melanie Bilenker’s work nearly made me choke on my cuppa tea when I realised that her tiny, intricate linear illustrations, observing everyday life were crafted out of her own bloody hair!! Lockets and broaches made out of gold, wood, resin, pigment and hair capture more than her obsession to record the mundane reality of going about your business, they capture the meticulous craftsmanship and romantic ideology that the ownership of all jewelery should be this sentimental, intimate, and ultimately treasured forever. If you were lucky enough to own said jewelery there is no doubt that such a keepsake would become a family heirloom.
Other notable mentions include Suzie Standford chairs made out of 1970s retro beach towels; I would most likely kill to be heading up a board room meeting on one those bad boys.
Severija Inirauskait – Kriauneviien not only gets the prize for longest name but her fusion of cross stitched industrial surfaces has long been an inspiration of mine when considering how to move embroidery out of the hoop and into a new world of over proportion.
And finally Siba Sahbi’s fragile paper strip sculptures make me really appreciate the intuition, vision and patience that must have been endured to transform simple strips of paper into such beautiful ornaments.
Towards the back of the book the artisans work is divided up into a directory, here you can admire further creations cataloged into glass, ceramics, textiles, illustration, woodwork, furniture etc. This directory is a handy contribution if you looking for a quick gift idea or alternative products to those featured in the profiles.
For a long time I wondered when a book like this would come out, I have many books profiling illustrators, fashion designers and photographers and The New Artisans is a well received addition to my collection, only now, under a new category of my own expertise. The book broadens my current understanding of craftsmanship and introduces me to a plethora of new inventive techniques, practises and artists.
The people in this book are dedicated to their craft, which must seem beyond reason to most. This not only motivates and inspires me personally but also gives a strong backbone and relevance to anyone wanting to take a deep breath and jump into the said “quiet, yet assertive movement”. I eagerly anticipate future recognition of new artisans that further editions of this book will no doubt hold!
