String, Felt, Thread: The Hierarchy of Art and Craft in American Art

Interesting book!!

I got this book a few days ago, and I must say, I am absolutely thrilled that there is finally a book out that does justice to contemporary fibers-based artistic practices. I teach Fiber and Material Studies in a liberal arts college and have found it to be a challenging task to shift the perception of Fibers beyond traditional techniques of dyeing and weaving. I am going to make this book required reading for my students.As Auther writes in the Introduction of the book, it is not a comprehensive survey of the history of fiber arts. Rather, the book methodically develops a theoretical framework for three themes that emerged in the 1960s and 70s - fiber art, process or post-minimalist art, and feminist art. Interwoven through out is the art/craft divide on which, fiber artists of this time were putting pressure and pushing the boundaries of what is considered art and what is fibers? The book goes on to present detailed analyses of each of these three themes in individual chapters devoted to each theme. Thorough and brilliant.More so, becase this framework is very relevant for locating fibers in contemporary art today as well. I only wish Auther will quickly write a sequel for Fiber arts post-1980!!! The Conclusion chapter is packed with contemporary references, and yes, the struggles of 1960-80 did a lot to assimilate Fibers into the mainstream contemporary art establishment, but much still remains to be done. As Auther rightly says in the conclusion, boundaries and hierarchies continue to exist in the art world, and the emergence of installation art, rising internationalism, and the indie DIY movement are the new forces to reckon with.This book is a validation of sorts. Yes, Fibers based work is art, and this is not even a new debate any more, but for some reason, it keeps coming up - what is up with that? So I am just going to carry this book around with me in my bag, and whip it out whenever that question comes up! Fibers today is more than a list of various media and techniques - it is a sensibility. And a book such as this one really brings that point home. Brava!

fascinating book

An incredibly intellectual book - too much for me. Detailed history of trends and analysis of what some artists have contributed. In other words, as I recall (I returned the book fairly quickly) not enough pictures.