Industrial Craft in Australia: Oral Histories of Creativity and Survival (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9783030872427)

This book is the first of its kind to investigate the ongoing significance of industrial craft in deindustrialising places such as Australia. Providing an alternative to the nostalgic trope of the redundant factory 'craftsman', this book introduces the intriguing and little-known trade of engineering patternmaking, where objects are brought to life through the handmade 'originals' required for mass production.
Drawing on oral histories collected by the author, this book highlights the experiences of industrial craftspeople in Australian manufacturing, as they navigate precarious employment, retraining, gendered career pathways, creative expression and technological change. The book argues that digital fabrication technologies may modify or transform industrial craft, but should not obliterate it. Industrial craft is about more than the rudimentary production of everyday objects: it is about human creativity, material knowledge and meaningful work, and it will be key to human survival in the troubled times ahead.

Author: Jesse Adams Stein
ISBN-10: 3030872424
ISBN-13: 9783030872427
Publisher: Palgrave MacMillan
Language: English
Published: 01/05/2022
Pages: 252
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.04lbs
Size: 8.27h x 5.83w x 0.63d