PublishedKodansha International, May 2011 |
ISBN9784770031211 |
FormatHardcover, 232 pages |
Dimensions31cm × 23.5cm × 2.8cm |
"Furniture with Soul" follows in the grand tradition of two other classic Kodansha books, "Sam Maloof: Woodworker" and "The Soul of a Tree: A Master Woodworker's Reflections" by George Nakashima. Both books have inspired several generations of contemporary artists working in wood, including most of the artists in the present book.
Written by respected woodworker David Savage, who will soon host a BBC special on the subject, "Furniture with Soul" explores the philosophy, career, and the pivotal moments of struggle and inspiration of ten top craftspeople. Savage travelled throughout the United States and Britain to interview renowned artists in the field with candour and an uncompromising eye. As he puts it, The craftspeople featured in this book have lived lives dedicated to the creation of objects that will fill us with awe and wonder. These makers are at once artists and designers and top-of-the-line craftspeople, creating handcrafted objects in the small workshop or studio, stretching artistic boundaries, uninterested in mass-produced products. Their pursuit is excellence and the individuality that will make their work a landmark of our age.
Savage shines the spotlight on some of the world's best woodworkers, including John Makepeace, John Cederquist, Jack Larimore, Gary Knox Bennett, and Peter Danko. With a telling eye and refreshing intimacy, he reveals the thinking, creative process, how each found his or her voice, and their rise to prominence. Savage seeks to illuminate the soul of the artists' work, and the concrete and inspirational moments of their lives that shaped them.
