Pink M.24 Chaffee

In 2006, a combat tank from World War II was placed in front of the Nikolaj Contemporary Art Center in Copenhagen, Denmark. Volunteers were responsible for crocheting and knitting pink squares to construct a blanket to completely cover the tank. Though passerbys were free to contribute squares to the project. The "pink tank," as it is sometimes called, was a form of protest against Denmark's involvement in the Iraq war. Over 4,000 squares were used to create the blanket, representing the wide spread of global protest.

From the Pink M.24 Chaffee website:

Unsimilar to a war, knitting signals home, care, closeness and time for reflection... For me, the tank is a symbol of stepping over other people's borders. When it is covered in pink, it becomes completely unarmed and it loses it's authority. Pink becomes a contrast in both material and color when combined with the tank.

The artist responsible for the "Pink Tank" is Marianne Jørgensen. She got submissions from knitting groups from all over the world through the widespread network culture. Today, with websites like Ravelry, an online knitting and crocheting community, which has over one million members, Jørgensen probably could have expanded her outreach exponentially. 

Gabriel Dawe

Plexus No. 3
Image courtesy of http://www.gabrieldawe.com/

Gabriel Dawe is a native of Mexico City and worked as a graphic designer before foraying into fiber arts. From his website: 

In search for creative freedom he started experimenting and creating artwork, which eventually led him to explore textiles and embroidery—activities traditionally associated with women and which were forbidden for a boy growing up in Mexico. Because of this, his work is subversive of notions of masculinity and machismo that are so ingrained in his culture. By working with thread and textiles, Dawe’s work has evolved into creating large-scale installations with thread, creating environments that deal with notions of social constructions and their relation to evolutionary theory and the self-organizing force of nature.

The social constructions that Dawe is creating are comparable to some of the diagrams that are used in network society to show the various ways that we connect with our peers. The spiderweb-like creations with linear connections could easily be seen as social diagrams, connecting him simultaneously to his past and future. However, the Plexus series, which has been exhibited in Dallas where he is working on an MFA, is more about an architectural construct than the duality and contradiction of his forbidden craft. In an interview with My Modern Met, Dawe stated: 

Conceptually, these works are about the human need for shelter... Fashion and Architecture have many functions, but one thing they both share is that they protect us from the elements. I'm taking the main material that clothing is made out of—thread—to make an architectural structure. By reversing scale and material in this way, I end up with a structure that I see as symbolic of the social constructions humans need to survive as a species.

Considering how early it is in Dawe's career, he's already captivating an audience who wants to escape into his dreamy spaces. From the sound of it though, you can't really capture the true nature of his installations with photographs, so hopefully he'll be showing in New York sometime soon... 

Open Source Embroidery

HTML Patchwork by Ele Carpenter
Image courtesy of flickr user Furtherfield

Open Source Embroidery: Craft and Code is an art movement that combines technological practices through embroidery, knitting, quilting, weaving, and other crafts. It was first displayed at an exhibition in London in 2008 at the http:// gallery and has since traveled to Sweden and the United States. 

When I explain the concept of knitting to a non-knitter, I always start with comparing knitting to binary code. Binary code consists of 0s and 1s, and by combining these two elements, you can get endless systems, creating the foundation of our Network Culture. Knitting is very similar in theory. There are just two stitch types: knit and purl. Every sweater, scarf, hat, glove, etc. consists of just these two basic elements, and through the manipulation of these two elements, you can create endless combinations. Easy, right? Ele Carpenter, the creater/curator of Open Source Embroidery uses a similar approach to explain her reasoning for combining Craft and Code:

"Embroidery is constructed (mostly by women) in hundreds of tiny stitches which are visible on the front of the fabric. The system of the stitches is revealed on the back of the material. Some embroiderers seal the back of the fabric, preventing others from seeing the underlying structure of the pattern. Others leave the back open for those who want to take a peek. A few integrate the backend process into the front of the fabric. The patterns are shared amongst friends in knitting and embroidery 'circles'.

Software is constructed (mostly by men) in hundreds of tiny pieces of code, which form the hidden structure of the programme or interface. Open Source software allows you to look at the back of the fabric, and understand the structure of your software, modify it and distribute it. The code is shared amongst friends through online networks. However the stitches or code only make sense to those who are familiar with the language or patterns.

The same arguments about Open Source vs Free Software can be applied to embroidery. The needlework crafts also have to negotiate the principles of 'freedom' to create, modify and distribute, within the cultural and economic constraints of capitalism. The Open Source Embroidery project simply attempts to provide a social and practical way of discussing the issues and trying out the practice. Free Software, Open Source, amatuer and professional embrioderers and programmers are welcome to contribute to the project."

Carpenter initiated The HTML Patchwork, shown in the image above, consisting of 216 hexagonal pieces of fabric in websafe colors quilted together. All contributors have a background in craft AND code, so that each piece is a genuine compilation of the low-tech/high-tech mentality. There is a wiki site for each participant to share the story of their patch and their history with craft.

The Open Source Embroidery project was featured in WIRED magazine's Gadget Lab section (showcasing "hardware that rocks your world"), titled "Geek Art: Needlework Brings Together Programmers, Crafters." The article corresponded with the US opening of the exhibition. 

Knitted Blog by Suzanne Hardy

Image courtesy of flickr user Furtherfield

Knitted Blog used Open Source networking to gather all of the components from knitters around the world, then all of the "knittivists" (like craftivists) could post their contributions to the glittyknittykitty blog. Each piece was sent to multiple participants and was continuously added to, diminishing a sort of ownership, and establishing an arena for creative commons.