Material : making and the art of transformation

An important book, brimming with insight. Nicholas Evans, author of The Horse Whisperer Material is generous, wise, fascinating and fundamentally humane.

Dan Richards, author of OutpostThrowing a pot. Building a bench. Sewing clothes. Creating a linocut illustration. Carving a spoon. What does it mean to make things with your hands in a digital age full of mass market, disposable items? Through beautifully-crafted writing filled with memorable makers, landscapes, stories and scenery, Material is a rich celebration of what it means to imagine and create.

Nick Kary champions the voices of artisans across the English landscape, from potters to woodworkers, and reminds us of the rich vein of knowledge and skills that defines our common human heritage. Much in the vein of bestselling authors Lars Mytting, Robert Macfarlane and Barn the Spoon, craftsman Nick Kary explores what it means to be a maker, where the fluid creative act becomes manufacturing, and what it means to create in a world where consumers are disconnected from the creative and material process.

He tells the stories of craftspeople, asking them why they make, and the challenge of making a living out of a practice that was once a necessity; and underlying his visits to meet fellow makers are the author’s own reflections about what and who influenced him to value and make using materials from the earth for the past forty years. Perfect for fans ranging from Countryfile to Norwegian Wood, Material is a rich, inspiring read for woodworkers, potters, craftspeople, bibliophiles and anyone who enjoys working with their hands.