“This is a beautiful book in every sense—the design, photographs, and storytelling.”
—Woodcarving Illustrated Magazine
Emil Milan: Midcentury Master
The first publication dedicated to Emil Milan: artist, designer, and woodworker who was at the forefront of midcentury modern design.
9 X 11 IN. | 272 PAGES | HARDBACK
STANDARD EDITION
LIMITED EDITION
PUBLISHER: The Center for Art in Wood in collaboration with the Emil Milan Research Project
The award-winning Limited Edition is almost sold out. Get yours today.
The highly anticipated publication, Emil Milan: Midcentury Master, chronicles the life and work of Emil Milan. It is the most comprehensive biography and collection of work from the artist. Get your copy today of the book that Woodcarving Illustrated Magazine says “will be a treasure to anyone who appreciates elegant design, beautiful wood, and a well-told tale.”
The book tells the story of an important American artist, designer, and woodworker who was a major contributor of the studio craft movement in the United States after WWII. Milan’s work, known as “functional sculpture,” captures and exemplifies midcentury modern design aesthetic, exploring balance of form and function.
Awards
First Prize | 2018 | Exhibition Catalogues
American Alliance of Museums Publications Design Competition
AAM website
Regional Winner | 2018 | Editorial books, Midwest Region
PRINT Regional Design Awards
Published in The Best of Design, Spring 2019
Gold Medal | 2018 | Regional non-fiction books, Mid-Atlantic
Independent Publisher Book Awards
IPPY website
Official Selection | 2018
Creative Quarterly 53 magazine
Published in January 2019 issue
Standard Edition
ISBN: 978-0-9729943-8-5
9 x 11 in. | 272 pages | Hardback, thread-sewn | 4-color stochastic printing | Printed on 157gsm Mei Ji Ya Yin paper | Printed endpapers | Nearly 300 color images
Limited Edition
EDITION OF 200 | LOW QUANTITY REMAINING
ISBN: 978-0-9729943-9-2
Includes wood slip case and letterpress signature plate.
Advance Praise for Emil Milan: Midcentury Master
This is a beautiful book in every sense—the design, photographs, and storytelling. The pages reflect the clean, flowing, functional style espoused by Emil Milan himself, while the narration is not just a biography but a fascinating history of woodcraft in modern America. The authors' passion and respect for their subject shows in the meticulous research they undertook to piece together the story of his life and influence, as well as the ample documentation of his work. Bowls, spoons, trays, and birds flow across the pages, interspersed with photographs that lend context to the artwork. This book will be a treasure to anyone who appreciates elegant design, beautiful wood, and a well-told tale.
—Woodcarving Illustrated Magazine
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Emil Milan: Midcentury Master, a beautiful book, is the Emil Milan Research Project’s most recent endeavor. Milan was known primarily for his small, exquisitely made carved wood bowls and stylized birds. The book makes clear that his influence on the work of others continues to this day, though not all of those who are influenced are aware of the source of their inspiration.
Craig Edelbrock (the author) was enlisted to continue the research on Milan, resulting in his impressive and thorough essay, which provides a sometimes intimate biography set in the greater context of the post-WWII craft movement in the U.S. We get a sense of Milan as a person, who, unlike the subjects of many biographies, comes across as truly likable.
While retrospective exhibitions are great tributes, they are only seen by a fortunate few. This book is a more permanent recognition of an important maker, an homage that is long overdue.
—Excerpts from an article by Mark Sfirri published in the December, 2017 issue of American Woodturner, the journal of the American Association of Woodturners. www.woodturner.org