Knit
| Date | Jun 24, 1995 - Sep 3, 1995 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Naomi London and Janet Morton |
| Curated by | Sarah Quinton |
Exhibition Overview
Knitting has been practiced throughout history in a variety of settings and for a variety of reasons, both functional and decorative. Around the world, knitting styles have become personalized and regionalized – some traditional patterns are identifiable with nationhood and political affiliation – others are anonymously produced for practical, often sentimental reasons. This 1995 exhibition featuring the work of artists Naomi London, Jean McRae and Janet Morton, examines these interconnected themes.
Additional Information
Knitting has been practiced throughout history in a variety of settings and for a variety of reasons, both functional and decorative. The three artists in this exhibition are engaged with the laborious process of knitting, with connections to sculpture, clothing, photography and performance.
In 1992, Naomi London (Montreal) organized The Sweater Project, a collection of non-functional garments that she commissioned to be made by a group of senior citizens.
In Two Walking Days (1992), Jean MacRae (Vancouver) knit "en plein-air," documenting her response to Vancouver's urban landscape.
In April 1995, Janet Morton (Toronto) spent 29 days knitting a giant-sized blanket - a public ritual titled Newsflash: Madame Defarge eat your heart out - containing daily headlines from the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail and Toronto Sun newspapers.
London's impossible sweaters, Morton's knitted texts, and MacRae's pictures and symbols prod us to examine how we relate to common objects. These are imponderably tedious projects; quirky, invented working processes where humour, hard work and fantasy reside next to one another, simultaneously confounding and confirming what we think we know about knitting. London, MacRae and Morton expand our perceptions of knitting as a practical, solitary, intimate and economical activity by literally "taking it to the streets."
Knit
By Sarah Quinton, 1995
Knitting has been practiced throughout history in a variety of settings and for a variety of reasons, both functional and decorative. The three artists in this exhibition are engaged with the laborious process of knitting, with connections to sculpture, clothing, photography and performance.
Naomi London's impossible sweaters, Janet Morton's knitted text, and Jean MacRae's pictures and symbols prod us to examine how we relate to common objects and the conditions of their making. Layers of deceptively simple stories and questions are embedded in this work. These are imponderably tedious projects; quirky, invented working processes where humour, hard work and fantasy reside next to one another, simultaneously confounding and confirming what we think we know about knitting.
These artists have inverted accepted perceptions of knitting as solitary, practical, intimate and economical by literally "taking it to the streets." They share a curiosity that has to do with anticipation, expectation and imprecision, and they frequently introduce loose ends that allow for an element of suspense - or even disbelief.
Naomi London's The Sweater Project is a collection of non-functional garments made by a group of senior citizens. Here, we see clothing and craft as self-conscious expressions of social values: sweaters with wildly long, thin sleeves; sealed head compartments; sleeves joined together; even a cloak for four people…
At a time when mass produced objects are accepted as the norm, these preposterous hand-made articles of clothing are imbued with a tension that exists between fashion trends, self-image and social constraints. London's sweaters evoke both pleasure and terror - evermore apparent once we understand who knit them, and why.
In Two Walking Days, Jean MacRae knit "en plein-air," documenting her response to Vancouver's urban landscape as she walked around the city. MacRae plays on the prescriptive nature of knitting patterns by presenting small, pot-holder-sized bits of emblems, symbols and objects along with an architect's paper blueprint. Like a manual with detailed instructions, MacRae's "Rules of the Game" guide the uninitiated through a set of arbitrary procedures, which results in a surprisingly intimate account: she tells us how she did it, how she felt, where she did it, how long it took, who she spoke to, and what she thought about while doing it. These documents have become maps of her internal and external world.
During the month of April, 1995, Janet Morton spent 29 days knitting a giant-sized blanket - a public ritual titled Newsflash: Madame Defarge eat your heart out - listing the month's daily newspaper headlines from the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail and Toronto Sun. With this blanket, Morton has translated masses of cool public information (uninteresting, disturbing, amusing, horrifying) into an object of warmth, comfort and familiarity. Newsflash is infused with her own stories and in-jokes that emerged during its making. With a light touch, Morton has softened the alienating effects of information overload.
© 2007 Textile Museum of Canada
