" Chains carved from a single block of wood, cages whittled with wooden balls rattling inside -- all "made with just a pocketknife" -- are among our most enduring folk designs. Who makes them and why? what is their history? what do they mean for their makers, for their viewers, for our society? Simon J. Bronner portrays four wood carvers in southern Indiana, men who had been transplanted from the rural landscapes of their youth to industrial towns. After retiring, they took up a skill they remembered from childhood. Bronner discusses how creativity helped these men adjust to change and how viewers' responses to carving reflect their own backgrounds. By recording the narratives of these men's lives, the stories and anecdotes that laced their conversation, Bronner finds new insight into the functions and symbolism of traditional craft. Including anew illustrated afterword in which the author discusses recent developments in the carver's art, this new edition will appeal to carvers, scholars, and anyone interested in traditional woodworking.
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"A masterfully balanced psychological interpretation of a group of traditional artists, their creativity, and the functions and symbolism of their works." -- Winterthur Portfolio
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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An outstanding study of a folk art,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Carver's Art: Crafting Meaning from Wood (Paperback)
This book shows the breadth and scope of meanings that are carved into wooden chains by Indiana craftsmen. Folklorist Simon Bronner begins his study with a simple question: Why would anyone spend hours and hours carving out wooden chains? The answers that he finds show that simple questions often have complex answers. Bronner provides a glimpse into the souls of the carvers as he reveals the significant aspects of the aesthetic and emotional dimensions of life history that are crafted into the art of the carvers.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Carving Meanings,
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This review is from: The Carver's Art: Crafting Meaning from Wood (Paperback)
Bronner presents the life histories of four carvers from Indiana as resources for understanding woodcarving's appeal. The book is a detailed study of chain carving, and the description is so thick that a reader could actually learn to carve a wooden chain by reading this study of an popular folk art. What makes this book so interesting is the way in which Bronner connects the carvers' biography with woodcarving to ascertain important values within the carvers' lives. Throughout the book, Bronner uses folkore scholarship to provide important insights into ways in which an individual's early life experiences provide a base for creativity during the twilight years. At times, his analysis is speculative, but Bronner's interests are intriguing and provide interesting ways to think about creativity and aging.
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