The tools and materials of making : an ethnography of makers

Abstract

The maker and handmade movement have influenced many aspects of our popular culture. The embracing of the handmade has become a value-based proposition for many consumers. So much so that the maker is the subject of much scholarly research. However, that research often does not look at the made as part of the maker. This research explores the making of the object itself from the perspective of the maker’s tools, materials and processes. Using Artisanal Ethnography and Reflexive Ethnography, the research explores ten artisans and the researcher himself as they create different items in the media of their choice. It explores how those tools and materials influence the maker and the object being made and how this influences the process of making. In the end, the maker joins forces with the making to create a personal experience that is part of the final object.