2022 Volume 14 Issue 1 Pages 51-86
In this work, I take inspiration from classical developmental research, Thelen’s dynamic systems approach, and Japanese observational studies based on ecological psychology to suggest the perspective of viewing the development as continuous chronological changes in a system that encompasses both the body and its environment. I longitudinally observed N, an artisan who creates large one-ofa-kind works by Japanese woodturning, as she created two new works. I particularly focused on the main tools used in Japanese woodturning. My observations showed that N decided on the shape of each work in an exploratory manner, changed the fixture (“hame”) and processed it accordingly, and consistently changed and maintained the setup of tools in the workshop, such as changing the “kanna”handle. On the basis of these findings, I re-thought my theoretical considerations and came up with some new perspectives, such as the fact that development of craft can include not only physical development but also environmental changes such as changes in the setup of tools, and that the development of techniques can be viewed as an artist-tool system.
