"Getting ‘the Feel’ in the Craft Workshop"

by Martin, Tom (2021)

Abstract

This introductory chapter presents the key themes and questions in the book and situates the text among other contemporary explorations of craftwork. The main argument is that craft understanding is marked by the ability to interpret a depth of meaning in physical objects—particularly workshop tools and materials— that the uninitiated observer cannot. As objects begin to reveal their meanings to the novice craftsperson, they appear to transform, taking on new layers of contextual significance. In some cases, objects even appear to combine or split apart as their defining practices demand. These experiences of perceptual transformation raise ontological questions about equipment in the workshop; is the workshop one distinct phenomenal ‘world’, or is it different for each of its members?

Keywords

Craftsmanship, Craft, Perception, Dreyfus, Heidegger, Phenomenology, Workshop, Interpretation, Equipment

Themes

Craftsmanship

Links to Reference

• https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64283-9_1
• http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64283-9_1
• https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-64283-9_1

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