Yarn bombing

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The Knit Knot Tree in Yellow Springs, Ohio ThankYouTree.jpg
The Knit Knot Tree in Yellow Springs, Ohio
Yarn bombing for a town festival in Romsey, Hampshire, England Romsey Yarn Bomb 2017 26.jpg
Yarn bombing for a town festival in Romsey, Hampshire, England

Yarn bombing (or yarnbombing) is a type of graffiti or street art that employs colourful displays of knitted or crocheted yarn or fibre rather than paint or chalk. It is also called wool bombing, yarn storming, guerrilla knitting, kniffiti, urban knitting, or graffiti knitting.

Contents

Motivation

While other forms of graffiti may be expressive, decorative, territorial, socio-political commentary, advertising or vandalism, yarn bombing was initially almost exclusively about reclaiming and personalizing sterile or cold public places. [1] It has since developed with groups graffiti knitting and crocheting worldwide, each with their own agendas and public graffiti knitting projects being run. [2]

According to Manuela Farinosi and Leopoldina Fortunati, yarn bombing has become synonymous with the current feminist movement due in part to the reclamation of the traditionally feminine arts of knitting and/or crocheting to partake in the traditionally masculine and male-dominated graffiti scene. [3] The women and girls who make up the yarn bombing subculture are diverse in race, age, sexuality, class, etc., and create space for themselves and their art everywhere from college campuses to public parks. This creation and preservation of space is what motivates some of the participants, some of whom have never been able to access a political art space before. In her article about yarn bombing, Joanna Mann explains the balance between the art and politics, "Yarn bombing, I argue, does more than feminise the city, for the whimsy with which it is imbued has the capacity to increase our attentiveness to habitual worlds in a series of micro-political gestures." [4] McGovern finds that yarn bombing may also be used to contradict the idea of women as homemaker by bringing such traditionally feminine art into public space. [5]

History

The practice is believed to have originated in the U.S. with Texas knitters trying to find a creative way to use their leftover and unfinished knitting projects, but it has since spread worldwide. [6] [1] [7]

The start of this movement has been attributed to Magda Sayeg, from Houston, who says she first got the idea in 2005 when she covered the door handle of her boutique with a custom-made cozy. [8]

Moose, Museum of comic art, Frankfurt Ffm traxler statue elche mit guerilla-knitting.jpg
Moose, Museum of comic art, Frankfurt

Houston artist Bill Davenport was creating and exhibiting crochet-covered objects in Houston in the 1990s, and the Houston Press stated that "Bill Davenport could be called the grand old man of Houston crocheted sculpture." [9] Artist Shanon Schollian was knitting stump cozies in 2002 for clear cuts in Oregon. [10] The Knit Knot Tree by the Jafagirls [11] in Yellow Springs, Ohio, gained international attention in 2008.

The movement moved on from simple 'cozies' with the innovation of the 'stitched story'. The concept has been attributed to Lauren O'Farrell [12] (who creates her street art under the graffiti knitting name Deadly Knitshade), from London, UK, who founded the city's first graffiti knitting collective Knit the City. The 'stitched story concept' uses handmade amigurumi creatures, characters, and items to tell a narrative or show a theme. This was first recorded with the Knit the City collective's "Web of Woe" installation [13] in August 2009.

The Knit the City collective were also the first to use O'Farrell's term yarnstorming to describe their graffiti knitting, as an alternative to the more popular term yarnbombing. [14] [15]

Yarn bombing's popularity has spread throughout the world. In Oklahoma City the Collected Thread store yarn bombed the Plaza District of the city on 9 September 2011 to celebrate their three-year anniversary as a functioning shop. [16] and in Australia a group called the Twilight Taggers refer to themselves as 'fibre artists'. [17] Joann Matvichuk of Lethbridge, Alberta founded International Yarnbombing Day, which was first observed on 11 June 2011. [18]

Although yarnbomb installations are typically found in urban areas, Stephen Duneier, aka Yarnbomber, was the first to introduce it into the wilderness with numerous permitted projects in Los Padres National Forest beginning in 2012. [19]

Festive postbox yarnbomb Christmas Crochet at Greenock pillarbox 2.jpg
Festive postbox yarnbomb

The Craft Club Yarnbombers (Emma Curley, Helen Thomas, Gabby Atkins, Claire Whitehead and Rebecca Burton) in Essex became Guinness World Record holders in 2014 for the largest display of crochet sculptures, when they yarnbombed a children's hospice with 13,388 crocheted items. [20] That December, they brought yarnbombing to their community with their postbox yarnbombs. [21]

Inverclyde pillarbox yarnbombing Christmas Crochet Gourock gnome on pillarbox, dusk 2.jpg
Inverclyde pillarbox yarnbombing

Yarn Bombing Los Angeles (YBLA) is a yarn bombing collective located in Los Angeles, California. The collective describe themselves as a group of guerrilla knitters who have been collaborating since 2010. They hold monthly meetings to develop plans for events, share techniques, develop their collective community, etc. They currently have 10+ projects in progress throughout the Los Angeles and nearby communities. [22]

In Inverclyde, "The Wee Crafty Yarnbombers" bollard covers in 2019 were followed by pillarbox yarnbombing by FiddlieDee Crafts [23] in the 2020 festive season. [24]

Legality

While yarn installations – called yarn bombs or yarnstorms – may last for years, they are considered non-permanent, and, unlike other forms of graffiti, can be easily removed if necessary. Nonetheless, the practice is still technically illegal in some jurisdictions, though it is not often prosecuted vigorously. [6] Alyce McGovern highlights that a possible reason for this is that yarn bombing is often done by white, middle-class, women and it is seen as harmless fun; it is deemed more as street art and less as graffiti (which is enforced much more strictly). [25]

Criticisms

Yarn bombing in and between tree branches Yarn Bombing - panoramio.jpg
Yarn bombing in and between tree branches

Yarn bombing has been under some scrutiny for the potential negative environmental impact that the yarn can have when placed on plant life. Yarn can restrict sap production on trees and constrict growth. [26] The knitted material requires removal and cleaning up; if left behind, installations become soggy and synthetic fibers litter the environment. [27]

The street artist Olek (Agata Oleksiak) has yarn bombed New York City icons such as the Wall Street bull and the Astor Place Cube. [28] They faced legal trouble after their unauthorized installation in an underwater museum allegedly damaged marine life, the very cause they were attempting to raise awareness for. [29] Olek also makes public statements with their work, such as blanketing a women's homeless shelter in Delhi in 2015 [30] or installing an underwater cozy at the Cancun Underwater Museum. [29]

By demonstrating on yarnbombed tricycles, the Knit Your Revolt Tricycle Gang in Queensland protests "anti-bikie" laws that outlaw motorcycle gangs. [31]

Advertising campaigns have capitalized on the yarnbombing trend: Knit the City was commissioned by Toyota to create a 2013 installation in London. [32] London Kaye creates yarnbomb graffiti and, in addition to her art installations, creates advertisement yarnbombs for brands like Valentino and Miller Lite. [33] [28] Kaye has received backlash for her installations when they are hung in public unauthorized, and one installation in Bushwick called "Moonshine Kingdom" was met with arguments that spray graffiti is prosecuted as illicit, while white trendy yarn graffiti is not criminalized. [34] Public outcry concerning the installation labeled this type of graffiti a symbol of gentrification, [34] although an article by The New York Times claims a double standard in criticism of yarnbombing, and that women's work is seen as "cutesy" and inherently less valuable. [33]

See also

Related Research Articles

Crochet is a process of creating textiles by using a crochet hook to interlock loops of yarn, thread, or strands of other materials. The name is derived from the French term crochet, meaning 'hook'. Hooks can be made from a variety of materials, such as metal, wood, bamboo, bone or plastic. The key difference between crochet and knitting, beyond the implements used for their production, is that each stitch in crochet is completed before the next one is begun, while knitting keeps many stitches open at a time. Some variant forms of crochet, such as Tunisian crochet and broomstick lace, do keep multiple crochet stitches open at a time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knitting</span> Method of forming fabric

Knitting is a method for production of textile fabrics by interlacing yarn loops with loops of the same or other yarns. It is used to create many types of garments. Knitting may be done by hand or by machine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of knitting</span> History of knitting

Knitting is the process of using two or more needles to pull and loop yarn into a series of interconnected loops in order to create a finished garment or some other type of fabric. The word is derived from knot, thought to originate from the Dutch verb knutten, which is similar to the Old English cnyttan, "to knot". Its origins lie in the basic human need for clothing for protection against the elements. More recently, hand knitting has become less a necessary skill and more of a hobby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Revolutionary Knitting Circle</span>

The Revolutionary Knitting Circle (RKC) is an international activist group that engages in craftivism, focusing on knitting and textile handicrafts to promote social change. Established in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, by Grant Neufeld in 2000. The group uses knitting to contrast with the ideas that protests are violent and the ways in which police handle the protests. The movement has expanded, with groups forming in various regions of the United States and Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craftivism</span> Form of activism centered on practices of craft

Craftivism is a form of activism, typically incorporating elements of anti-capitalism, environmentalism, solidarity, or third-wave feminism, that is centered on practices of craft - or what has traditionally been referred to as "domestic arts". Craftivism includes, but is not limited to, various forms of needlework including yarn-bombing or cross-stitch. Craftivism is a social process of collective empowerment, action, expression and negotiation. In craftivism, engaging in the social and critical discourse around the work is central to its production and dissemination. Practitioners are known as craftivists. The word 'craftivism' is a portmanteau of the words craft and activism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debbie Stoller</span> American author and publisher

Debbie Stoller is a New York Times best-selling American author, publisher, feminist commentator and knitting expert whose work includes magazines as well as books. She lives in Brooklyn, New York City. Stoller is the co-founder, co-owner and editor-in-chief of the culture magazine BUST, which she and Marcelle Karp launched in 1993.

The term "gauge" is used in knitting to describe the fineness size of knitting machines. It is used in both hand knitting and machine knitting. The phrase in both instances refers to the number of stitches per inch rather than the size of the finished article of clothing. The gauge is calculated by counting the stitches or needles across a number of inches, then dividing by the sample's width in inches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Entrelac</span> Knitting technique used to create a textured diamond pattern

Entrelac is a knitting technique used to create a textured diamond pattern. While the result resembles basket-woven strips of knitted fabric, the actual material comprises interconnected squares on two different orientations.

Freeform crochet and knitting is a seemingly random combination of crochet, knitting and in some cases other fibre arts to make a piece that is not constrained by patterns, colours, stitches or other limitations.

Knitting clubs are a feature of the 21st-century revival of hand knitting which began in America and has spread to most of Europe. Despite the name, knitting clubs are not limited to knitting; both crochet-centered and knit-centered clubs are collectively called "knitting clubs." While knitting has never gone away completely, this latest reincarnation is less about the make-do and mend of the 1940s and 1950s, and more about making a statement about individuality and developing a sense of community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knitta Please</span> American art group

Knitta Please, also known as simply Knitta, is the group of artists who began the "knit graffiti" movement in Houston, Texas in 2005. They are known for wrapping public architecture—e.g. lampposts, parking meters, telephone poles, and signage—with knitted or crocheted material, a process known as "knit graffiti", "yarn storming" or "yarnbombing". The mission is to make street art "a little more warm and fuzzy."

Hand knitting is a form of knitting, in which the knitted fabric is produced by hand using needles.

I Knit London is a knitting organisation based in London, England, UK, comprising a knitting group, knitting shop and knitting events. I Knit London was formed in December 2005, and is run, by Gerard Allt and Craig Carruthers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olek (artist)</span> Polish-born artist, born 1978

Agata Oleksiak, known as Olek, is a Polish artist who is based in New York City. Their works include sculptures, installations such as crocheted bicycles, inflatables, performance pieces, and fiber art. They have covered buildings, sculptures, people, and an apartment with crochet and have exhibited in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, Turkey, France, Italy, Poland, and Costa Rica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knit the City</span> London knitting group

Knit the City is a group of "graffiti knitting and crochet" street artists founded in London, England in 2009. The collective is credited with being the first to go beyond the simple 'cosies' of early graffiti knitting to tell 'stitched stories', using knitted and crochet amigurumi creatures and objects in their public installations. This practice has been taken up by groups internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauren O'Farrell</span> English author and artist, also known as Deadly Knitshade

Lauren O'Farrell, also known as Deadly Knitshade, is an English author and artist. She is best known for playing a major part in the beginnings of the UK graffiti knitting street art scene, creating the Stitch London craft community and founding graffiti knitting and craft collective Knit the City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yarnbombing Los Angeles</span>

Yarnbombing Los Angeles (YBLA) is a group of guerrilla knitters that have been collaborating since 2010. They are based at the 18th Street Arts Center in Santa Monica, California. YBLA stages public installation art and performances to help expand the definition of public art to embrace street art, Urban Interventionism and ephemera. Collaborative art making, community building, public outreach, blurring boundaries between contemporary art practices, graffiti and craft are integral components to YBLA's practice.

A knitting pattern is a set of written instructions on how to construct items using knitting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Duneier</span> American economist

Stephen Duneier is an American professional investment manager, strategy consultant, speaker, lecturer, author, artist and Guinness World Record holder.

References

  1. 1 2 Anonymous (21 January 2009). "Knitters turn to graffiti artists with 'yarnbombing'". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 25 May 2009.
  2. ↑ McGovern, Alyce (6 March 2014). "Knit one, purl one: the mysteries of yarn bombing unravelled". The Conversation. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  3. ↑ Farinosi, Manuela; Fortunati, Leopoldina (April 2018). "Knitting Feminist Politics: Exploring a Yarn-Bombing Performance in a Postdisaster City". Journal of Communication Inquiry. 42 (2): 138–165. doi:10.1177/0196859917753419. S2CID   148676726.
  4. ↑ Mann, Joanna (March 2015). "Towards a politics of whimsy: yarn bombing the city". Area. 47 (1): 65–72. doi: 10.1111/area.12164 .
  5. ↑ McGovern, Alyce (2019). Craftivism and Yarn Bombing: A Criminological Exploration. London: Palgrave Pivot. p. 105. doi:10.1057/978-1-137-57991-1_4. ISBN   978-1-137-57991-1. S2CID   202252614.
  6. 1 2 Wollan, Maria (18 May 2011). "Graffiti's Cozy, Feminine Side". The New York Times.
  7. ↑ Smee, Sebastian (25 December 2009). "Dave Cole takes knitting to new heights". Boston Globe. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
  8. ↑ The Wild and Woolly World of Yarn Bombing, Street Art's Soft Sensation BLOUINARTINFO.COM
  9. ↑ Art: The Third Dimension , Houston Press, 1 June 2000
  10. ↑ "nw drizzle monthly arts, music & culture e-zine". Nwdrizzle.com. 11 September 2001. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  11. ↑ "Jafagirls: YARNBOMBING".
  12. ↑ "London's graffiti knitters". The Daily Telegraph. May 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  13. ↑ "London's Graffiti Knitters". Telegraph Travel. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
  14. ↑ Costa, Maddy (11 October 2010). "The Graffiti Knitting Epidemic". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
  15. ↑ Sillito, John (13 June 2009). "Knitting but not as we know it". BBC.
  16. ↑ "Collected Thread".
  17. ↑ "Twilight Taggers".
  18. ↑ Mollins, Julie (10 June 2011). "Graffiti knitters to hit streets on Yarnbombing Day". Reuters. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  19. ↑ Cooper, Arnie (8 March 2015). "The Guerrilla Art of the Yarnbomb Goes Natural". Newsweek. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  20. ↑ "Largest display of crochet sculptures". Guinness World Records. 1 February 2016. Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2021. The largest display of crochet sculptures consists of 13,388 crocheted sculptures and was achieved by The Craft Club (UK) in Thundersley, Essex, UK, on 24 August 2014.
  21. ↑ "Yarn bombers spread Essex commuter Christmas cheer". BBC News. 6 December 2014.
  22. ↑ "about". Yarnbombing Los Angeles. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  23. ↑ Information from the knitter's brother.
  24. ↑ STV News at Six recording – "TV News Spot For Inverclyde's Christmas Crochet Creations as More Lovable Pillar Box 'Hats' Appear". Inverclyde Now. 16 December 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  25. ↑ McGovern, Alyce (2019). Craftivism and Yarn Bombing: A Criminological Exploration. London: Palgrave Pivot. pp. 96–102. doi:10.1057/978-1-137-57991-1_4. ISBN   978-1-137-57991-1. S2CID   202252614.
  26. ↑ Mann, Joanna (28 January 2017). "Knitting the archive: Shetland lace and ecologies of skilled practice". Cultural Geographies. 25: 91–106. doi: 10.1177/1474474016688911 .
  27. ↑ "'Yarn Bombing' Is The New Graffiti, But Is That OK?". The Odyssey Online. 22 March 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  28. 1 2 Fry, Naomi (17 February 2020). "By Hook or by Crook: Woolly". The New Yorker. pp. 30, 31.
  29. 1 2 Thomas, Emily (20 August 2014). "Artist Olek's Underwater Crochet 'Bomb' May Have Killed Marine Life". HuffPost. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  30. ↑ Harrington, Jaime Rojo & Steven (25 March 2015). "Gender, Caste, And Crochet: OLEK Transforms A Shelter in Delhi". HuffPost. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  31. ↑ Stitch, The (8 December 2013). "Why I started a Knit Your Revolt Tricycle Gang in Queensland | The Stitch". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  32. ↑ Price, Laura (February 2015). "Knitting and the City: Knitting and the City". Geography Compass. 9 (2): 81–95. doi:10.1111/gec3.12181.
  33. 1 2 Miller, Jennifer (2 December 2016). "Yarn Bombing Hits the High Street". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  34. 1 2 Whitford, Emma (18 September 2015). "This Wes Andersony Crochet Graffiti Is Causing Extreme Bushwick Gentrification Anxiety". Gothamist.

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