Books published by MERRELL

No art form is more associated with the Native Americans of the Southwest than pottery. For centuries, Pueblo people have made beautiful pottery, often painted with intricate designs, for everyday activities such as cooking, food storage and gathering water, and for ceremonial use. Vessels of these types have been found at ancient sites including Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde. The tradition of pottery-making continues to thrive among Pueblo communities in the Southwest, and while pottery is still made for practical purposes, it is also commonly produced for the art market. Since the time of the Ancestral Puebloans, pottery has been made predominantly by women. The pots are created from natural clay using a coil method; they are hand-painted and then fired outdoors. Designs vary from one Pueblo to another, but many symbols and motifs are shared by the Pueblos.An impressive survey of more than 100 pieces of historic Pueblo pottery, Grounded in Clay is remarkable for the fact that its content has been selected by Pueblo community members. Rather than relying on Anglo-American art historical interpretations, this book foregrounds Native American voices and perspectives. More than 60 participants from 21 Pueblo communities in the Southwest - among them potters and other artists, as well as writers, curators and community leaders - chose one or two pieces from the collections of the Indian Arts Research Center at the School of Advanced Research in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the Vilcek Collection in New York. They were then given the freedom to express their thoughts in whichever written form they wished, prose or poem. Their lively, varied contributions reveal the pottery to be not only a utilitarian art form but also a powerfully intangible element that sits at the heart of Pueblo cultures. With magnificent photography throughout, Grounded in Clay showcases the extraordinary history and beauty of Pueblo pottery while bringing to life the complex narratives and stories of this most essential of Native American arts.

A fascinating look behind the doors of theworkshops and factories of London that make everything from glass eyeballs toautomobiles. Walking through London's busy streets, you would not imagine that the city boasts one of the world's most diverse manufacturing scenes. But throughout its 32 boroughs, people are making propellers, bicycles, ballet shoes, military uniforms, cardboard packaging, neon signs, umbrellas, chocolate truffles, craft beer and much more. Today there are around 4000 manufacturers based in Greater London, building on the city's rich heritage of making. While producing world-class goods, they are all jostling for space and dealing with familiar challenges, such as rising rents and trying to keep developers at bay. This book provides a fascinating glimpse behind the doors of London's making and manufacturing companies: the processes and spaces that are so often hidden from view, and the people who work there, from sole traders to workforces numbering in the hundreds. The introduction is written by Mark Brearley, an architect and Professor of Urbanism at London Metropolitan Museum who also owns the London-based tray and trolley manufacturer Kaymet. The main part of the book is arranged into chapters grouping similar types of manufacturer. In total, 50 businesses are featured, ranging from the Ford Motor Company in Dagenham, the biggest factory in London; to William Say, third-generation tin-can makers, in Bermondsey; Nichols Brothers, bespoke woodturners, in Walthamstow; Growing Underground, a salad farm in old air-raid shelters under the streets of Clapham; and Jost Haas, Britain's last glass-eye maker, in Mill Hill. Specially commissioned photography by Carmel King captures the making process, the materials, the finished products and the staff at each manufacturer, while concise, engaging descriptions are provided by the design and architecture journalist Clare Dowdy. Made in London is a timely celebration of the vibrant manufacturing scene that contributes so much to the creativity, vitality and economy of the city.