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Today’s Blog Post
The Knit camBRIDGE Project – a Knitter’s Tribute
As an artist I understand the feelings of my art and appreciate the feeling that comes from my art – especially when it deeply affects those that see it. When others participate in what I have done, it may be one of the greatest “highs” I have ever been on. The participation may be because they appreciate it or also because they don’t particularly like it. At least they looked and experienced it.
I have drawn someone into what I have felt about something – or how I have reacted to something.
Last Saturday I felt the art, I experienced the art, I was part of the art, I was involved in the art and I simply didn’t want to leave the art. The internal feeling I had moved me deeply and I wanted to run from the place and do art.
I know for some of my non-arty friends that means and makes no sense at all. Some pride themselves on being total failures with anything creative… which I have a hard time accepting.
Yet on Saturday I witnessed non-arty people being immersed in the art totally and then reacting to what they were immersed in. They were grinning, they were touching, they were talking and for the most part everyone in the art – was taking photos of it.
What it the world am I talking about?
Well it is kind of hard to describe. Let’s try this… something like I would do if I describe someone doing a painting… you need a canvass or surface or place to do your art… then you need material that will be applied to, constructed in or on the surface or place you will do your art.
A Water Colour Painter will need brushes, paint and paper to paint on. A wood carver will need some tools, some wood and a place to do his work as he makes something of what he has in front of him.
On Saturday I witnessed and experienced Sue Sturdy’s installation in Cambridge, Ontario. Sue has done Art. Sue has made perhaps one of the largest pieces of Art that Cambridge has ever seen… and she has done it amazingly well!
Between Cambridge and Galt flows the Grand River. Over the Grand River are a number of Bridges – one of these Bridges is on Main Street. This Main Street Bridge is the “canvass” for Sue Sturdy’s art installation – her piece of art.
Sue, along with hundreds of volunteers, has wrapped the Main Street Bridge with woollen pieces of art that are hand made from all parts of the world as well as locally. I am having a hard time describing the things that I have witnessed last Saturday. I can use the words amazing… but that falls short of what I felt.
The bridge is a cement, two span, bridge that supports the weight of heavy trucks and equipment that has crossed the Grand River for years over the Main Street.
Now for non Cambridge people you need to know that this area has been known as one of the main producers of woollen products for years. Knitting wool was produced here for a long, long time. The many knitting factories and supporting factories/industries were all along the Grand River. Cambridge, Ontario could possibly be called the Textile Capital of Canada.
The fact that the Bridge is covered with wool and knitting is a tribute to the area and what it is known for. The fact that more than one person was involved in this production of the pieces of knitting is also a tribute to the art form.
As you look at the Bridge you have to be impressed with the Billions of Hand Motions that it took to knit this much wool to cover this huge bridge.
Appropriately it is entitled the “Knit camBRIDGE Project”.
I do tatting… lots of tatting. Each little ring I make requires many hand motions that are done back and forth – over and over again – perhaps thousands of times over to make something special. But what I have done pales beside the knitters of the camBRIDGE Project!
I stood on the Bridge with my wife and was amazed with the tremendous amount of love and care that has gone into the covering of the cement structure.
I include some photos here that I took to try to capture the Art that we experienced.
Thank you Sue and the many hundreds – if not thousands of volunteers that helped with the project.
~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/
Source:
http://www.cambridge.ca/cs_arts/artspage.php?artid=121&tp=1cpid=0&scpid=0&did=0&sid=0&ssid=0&tp=1&grid=1
http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/knitted-street-art
http://www.cambridge.ca/news.php?eid=1137&ms=2010-09-10&s=3
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=293125320753
1 comment:
I'm wondering what will happen with all that beautiful knitting when this display is taken down--?? It is a very stunning piece of art, for sure--I see whole afghans,one just like one my Mom made!
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