CITA Working for and with material performance

The understanding of materials as active, whether compressed, under tension or flexed while handled, is at the root of all craft traditions. The ability to work a material, to saw and chisel wood, to weld and hammer steel or to weave and knit yarn relies on a profound understanding of its performance. The soft flex of wood, the sprung stiffness of steel and the tensile elasticity of yarn are inherent properties that inform and shape our crafts traditions. It is through material understanding that we come to shape the world of artefacts and structure that surrounds us.