Sensing the Life of Material

Abstract

Abstract This article is devoted to the work of ivory carving artists in Sakha (Yakutia). It analyzes the ways craftsmen use, engage, and relate to mammoth ivory in their creative work. They start each carving project with consideration of the material, its quality and condition. Material often dictates the ways the creative idea develops and predetermines the outcome. Attention to the material is an important aspect of the relational engagement with it. Mammoth ivory, due to its structure, responds to climatic fluctuations, which is often described by artists as “breathing,” and it therefore demonstrates the qualities of an active material. For craftsmen, mammoth ivory is an agent and sentient material. The article contributes to the discussion of the importance of material in creative work.