100 New Zealand Craft Artists: By Helen Schamroth.
'100 New Zealand Craft Artists' was commissioned by Godwit Publishing as part of a series of books about New Zealand artists. The first two, by Warwick Brown, were '100 New Zealand Paintings by 100 New Zealand Artists' and 'Another 100 New Zealand Artists'.

As the first overview of craft art in 17 years there had to be some tightly drawn parameters. The book is not intended as a craft history. Rather it is a personal snapshot of work being produced in the 1990s by practitioners whose work has impressed me. A small number of pioneers and a handful of emerging artists are included, but in the main the practitioners are mid-career and have established a track record.

The introduction is an overview of the genre. Each artist is represented by a short essay and an image of recent work. Finding the artists was by a combination of calling for slides and background information, networking, interviewing practitioners, writers and curators, research at Auckland Museum and the Dowse Art Museum and library research.

Choosing the artists was a humbling experience - there is a lot of excellent work being produced around the country. And those makers are warm, generous and hospitable as well as being talented and dedicated.

The book two years to research, interview and write and was published in November 1998. It has recently been nominated as a finalist in the Illustrative Arts section of the Montana Book Awards.

Excerpt from a review by KW, Art News:
This is the third book in a series, following 100 New Zealand Paintings and Another 100 New Zealand Artists, designed witha similar feel. Once again, each artist is given a full-page image and an accompanying editorial on the oppopsite page. Summarising their life and work. It is a format that works well, offering an accessible and useful introduction to a whole community of artists, in a style sympathetic to those who prefer the drip-fed method of understanding. Pick it up, learn a little, put it down again - on the coffee table, within reach.

Excerpt from a review by Ann Packer:
"Godwit commissioned fibre artist and critic Helen Schamroth. This book represents people with a wide range of techniques, media, form, and function. Schamroth chose "a representative sampling of a broad range of recent work" of mostly mid-career artists. The origins of the artists make for fascinating reading - many are immigrants, and their cultural traditions are an immportant part of our emerging craft identity. This is a great resource, beautifully produced. The illustrations are suberb, and the photographers who worked on this book have risen to the challenge with inspiring success."

Available from
Available from Parsons Bookshop
New Gallery Building
Cnr Wellesley & Lorne Streets
Auckland
New Zealand

Ph 0064 9 303 1557
Fax 0064 9 357 0877

Price: $39.95

Those of us who think that '100 New Zealand Craft Artists' was the best book of 1998 should stand up and be counted by voting in the readers choice section of the Montana New Zealand Book Awards.

You will find the entry form in the New Zealander Listener with this week's programmes. The one with the 100 Great New Zealanders cover (it's subliminal) page 31.

I think the deadline is 21 July

There is a brochure about the awards with a voting form - it's probably available at book stores. That's easier than trying to find an old Listener. In case you needed an axtra incendiary (sic) voting puts you in the draw for $1000 of book tokens.