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    • 188 Shares139 Views

      in Art

      Social Issues and the Climate Crisis Intertwine in Subversive Crocheted Works by Jo Hamilton

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      Art
      Craft

      #crochet
      #landscapes
      #plastic
      #portraits
      #yarn

      November 15, 2021
      Grace Ebert

      “I Crochet Portland” (2006-2009), mixed crocheted yarn, 63 x 114 inches. All images © Jo Hamilton, shared with permission
      From a mix of wool fibers and yarn made from plastic waste, Scottish artist Jo Hamilton crochets large-scale portraits and architectural landscapes delineated with dangling threads. Her knotted pieces push the boundaries of art and craft traditions, bringing the two together in subversive portrayals of powerful women and metropolises marred by production. Unraveling at the edges, the textured works reflect on interlocking issues like unchecked capitalism, social disparities, and the increasingly urgent climate crisis.
      All of the materials Hamilton uses are recycled, whether sourced from estate sales and resalers or created in studio. A few years ago, she started turning grocery bags, videotapes, and other household items into skeins of yarn-like threads—the artist shares some of this process on Instagram—as a way to reduce her impact on the environment, explaining:
      We tend to glorify nature as an eternal and everlasting idea, separate from ourselves and our real-life actions. We’ve held on tightly to these ideas during the last few decades in the throes of late capitalism and globalization, and if we don’t change our thinking, policies and behavior immediately it will be too late. So I channeled my anxieties about over-production, pollution, and climate change into my work, using plastic in some of the works in contrast with the yarn.
      If you’re in Portland, stop by Russo Lee Gallery to see Hamilton’s most recent works as part of her solo show Transitory Trespass, which closes on November 27.

      “Cherry Steel Above and Below” (2017), mixed crocheted yarn, 68 x 122 inches
      “Shinig Mountain Eclipse.” Photo by John Clark
      Left: “Masked Metamorhic.” Right: “Masked Marbled.” Photos by John Clark
      “Death Star PDX” (2018), mixed crocheted yarn, 45 x 52 inches. Photo by John Clark
      “Isaac Montalvo” (2008), mixed yarn, 23 x 22 inches
      “Head & Neck Dietician” (2016), mixed crocheted yarn, 29 x 27 inches
      “Groucho Gia” (2013), mixed crocheted yarn, 51 x 36 inches
      Hamilton with a 2019 outdoor crocheted mural project on SE Foster Road in Portland. Photo by Kevin McConnell
      Hamilton with a 2019 outdoor crocheted mural project on SE Foster Road in Portland. Photo by Kevin McConnell

      #crochet
      #landscapes
      #plastic
      #portraits
      #yarn

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    • 150 Shares189 Views

      in Art

      An Eclectic Group Exhibition Brings Together Contemporary Interpretations of the Archetypal Vessel

      by

      
      Art

      #ceramics
      #painting
      #paper
      #sculpture
      #yarn

      July 15, 2021
      Grace Ebert

      CHIAOZZA, “Bouquet Sculpture No. 2” (2021), acrylic paint on paper pulp, 36 x 23 x 9 inches. All images courtesy of Hashimoto Contemporary, shared with permission
      A group exhibition at Hashimoto Contemporary in San Francisco offers a new perspective on the enduring legacy of the vessel as both standalone object and motif. Spanning ceramic vases, oil-based works on canvas, and sculptures made of paper pulp, the show explores the myriad ways the ubiquitous container has appeared throughout art history and how two dozen artists working today interpret the classic form. Included are the minimal, ritualistic paintings by Laura Berger (previously), Stephanie Shih’s sleek Molotov cocktail inscribed with a strikingly hopeful message, and Katie Kimmel’s zany dogs. We’ve gathered some of our favorite works below, and stop by the gallery before Vessel closes on July 31 to see them in person.

      Laura Berger, “Vessel 1” (2021), oil on canvas, 42 x 32 inches
      Left: Munisa, (2021), clay, wire, and glaze, 18 x 11 x 6 inches. Right: Stephanie Shih, “Molotov Cocktail (A Better World Is Possible)” (2021), 10 x 4.5 x 2.5 inches
      Leif Zikade, “Emergence” (2021), acrylic yarn, 24.5 x 16.5 inches
      Hilda Palafox, “Cosecha” (2021), high temperature ceramics, 12 x 12 x 12 inches
      Left: Katie Kimmel, “Nosferatu vase” (2021), ceramic, 13 x 7 x 3.4 inches. Right: Katie Kimmel, “” (2021), ceramic, 11 x 6 x 3.4 inches
      Lorien Stern, “Ready for the Afterparty” (2021), ceramic, 14 x 14.25 x 8.5 inches

      #ceramics
      #painting
      #paper
      #sculpture
      #yarn

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    • 113 Shares109 Views

      in Art

      Playful Ocean Life Sprawls Throughout Mulyana’s Immersive, Knit Installations

      by

      
      Art
      Craft

      #coral
      #crochet
      #installation
      #knitting
      #ocean
      #octopi
      #sustainability
      #yarn

      July 20, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      “Big Mogus” (2020), yarn and dacron, 96 1/2 × 18 7/8 × 22 1/8 inches. All images © Mulyana, shared with permission
      Complete with spiraled tentacles, textured features, and toothy grins, the yarn-based creatures that Indonesian artist Mulyana knits and crochets take a playful, bizarre approach to ocean life. The artist frequently recreates what he refers to as the mogus, or octopus, as a mainstay in his underwater environments. Dotted with multiple sets of eyes, the creature has various iterations ranging in size, color, facial contortions, and number of tentacles. Each billowing mogus is presented suspended from the ceiling, giving it the appearance of floating through the ocean.
      While many of Mulyana’s formations are brightly colored, the pieces in his Bety series (shown below) are crafted entirely in white to draw attention to coral bleaching caused by pollution. To maintain his own commitments to sustainability and community, Mulyana re-purposes the yarn that forms his textured corals and ocean life.
      If you’re in New York, Mulyana’s sea creatures can be seen at Sapar Contemporary through August 21. Otherwise, keep up with the artist’s vibrant projects on Instagram, and check out where the mogus heads on its next adventure.

      “Harmony 14” (2019), yarn, Dacron, cable wire, and plastic net, 41 3/4 × 60 5/8 × 17 3/4 inches
      Left: “Mogus 39” (2020), yarn and dacron, 14 1/8 × 29 7/8 × 5 1/8 inches
      “Bety 1” (2020), yarn, dacron, cable wire, and plastic net, 73 5/8 × 37 3/8 × 20 1/8 inches

      Big Mogus” (2020), yarn and dacron, 96 1/2 × 18 7/8 × 22 1/8 inches

      #coral
      #crochet
      #installation
      #knitting
      #ocean
      #octopi
      #sustainability
      #yarn

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