Contemporary Crafts explores craft practices in both North America and Britain, revealing an astonishingly rich and diverse picture of artisanal work today. The book ranges across both urban and rural crafts and analyses how the country/city dichotomy creates differing approaches, practices and objects. Analysed in the context of their environment and its localised history, crafted objects are shown to embody or critique particular urban/rural myths and traditions. Covering both traditional and cutting-edge crafts from the small-scale domestic to large outdoor works, Contemporary Crafts demonstrates how craftspeople today are responding to the changing creative contexts of culture and history.

The author's knowledge of contemporary and recent makers is impressive and readers are likely to come across objects which are both fascinating and unfamiliar. The Journal of William Morris

Dr Imogen Racz is Senior Lecturer at Coventry University, England, teaching contextual studies across the fine and applied arts.