How Materials Matter
Design, Innovation and Materiality in the Pacific
Published on 13. October 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
212 pages
978-1-80539-122-7 (ISBN)
Description
How does design and innovation shape people's lives in the Pacific? Focusing on plant materials from the region, How Materials Matter reveals ways in which a variety of people - from craftswomen and scientists to architects and politicians - work with materials to transform worlds. Recognizing the fragile and ephemeral nature of plant fibres, this work delves into how the biophysical properties of certain leaves and their aesthetic appearance are utilized to communicate information and manage different forms of relations. It breaks new ground by situating plant materials at the centre of innovation in a region.
Reviews / Votes
"...a wonderful contribution to the expanding and exciting field of material culture studies. With its particular regional focus, it is also a novel addition to the anthropology of the Pacific. A beautifully printed book." * Anthropos"The book is a welcome and novel addition to the anthropology of the Pacific through its exploration of the dynamics of materials and sociality, while also introducing readers to the realities of working with digital renderings of heritage." * Joshua A. Bell, Smithsonian Institution
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
19 Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 12 mm
Weight
332 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80539-122-7 (9781805391227)
DOI
10.3167/9781789202014
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
03/2019
1st Edition
Berghahn Books
€24.49
Available for download
Person
Graeme Were is chair and professor of Anthropology in the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology at the University of Bristol. He has a regional specialism in Papua New Guinea, where he has conducted ongoing ethnographic fieldwork since 2000. His published work includes Lines that Connect (2010) and Extreme Collecting (Berghahn, 2012) co-edited with J.C.H. King.
Content
Acknowledgements
List of Illustrations
Introduction: Materials and Design
PART I: MATERIALS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
Chapter 1. On the Materials of Mats
Chapter 2. Materials on the Move
Chapter 3. What's in a Plant Leaf?
PART II: MATERIALS: DESIGN: TRANSFORMATION
Chapter 4. Of Canoes and Troughs
Chapter 5. Enclosures and Disclosures
PART III: MATERIAL FUTURES
Chapter 6. Returning Cultural Knowledge in a Digital Design Context
Chapter 7. Material Histories and the Changing Nature of Museum Collections
Conclusion: Towards a New Understanding of Materiality
Bibliography
Index
List of Illustrations
Introduction: Materials and Design
PART I: MATERIALS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
Chapter 1. On the Materials of Mats
Chapter 2. Materials on the Move
Chapter 3. What's in a Plant Leaf?
PART II: MATERIALS: DESIGN: TRANSFORMATION
Chapter 4. Of Canoes and Troughs
Chapter 5. Enclosures and Disclosures
PART III: MATERIAL FUTURES
Chapter 6. Returning Cultural Knowledge in a Digital Design Context
Chapter 7. Material Histories and the Changing Nature of Museum Collections
Conclusion: Towards a New Understanding of Materiality
Bibliography
Index