North House Folk School

We live in a technological world. With our smartphone ever at hand and humanless kiosks all around us, we find ourselves enmeshed in the realm of mechanization and automation. Even those of us “crafty-types” who seek refuge from the madness within the walls of our workshops sometimes find that even this sacred place is not immune to technology’s pull. Without a firm grasp of the nature of our tools and technologies, we are destined to feel lost and overwhelmed. We would do well to ask ourselves some fundamental questions:

What are we as craftspeople to understand by the word “technology?” How does it relate to our tools and the work of our hands? Practically speaking, how is machinery distinct from hand tools? And most importantly, how do our tools shape us as we use them? By drawing on astute observations from philosophers, historians, and anthropologists, Klein will explain how the themes of technology criticism and embodied engagement play out for him at the bench – it’s his philosophy of the woodshop.Join us for a deeper look into this important discussion.