serendipity

big blue update

"Art is never finished, only abandoned." -- Leonardo Da Vinci

Knitting while twisted like a pretzel and sitting on a very dusty floor is not ideal.  My fingers are covered in blisters, my back hurts and I still have a few more hours of repair work to complete.  Big Blue is not destined for Washington D.C. as originally planned, she is off to San Francisco in August.  It's Baby Blue (a mini replica) that will be in D.C. at the Kennedy Center.  In the meantime Big Blue will be warehoused in a town about 1 1/2 hours out of Chicago, so I am handling repairs now before she is moved into storage for the rest of spring.

It was fun to see the globes again, especially with them clustered together in one space.

Most were scattered across the floor, but a few were on shelves.

Mind you, each globe weighs approximately 250lbs.  Is it any wonder that the shelving unit is made of steel girders? 

For now, I hanker to knit some of the aplaca / silk blend I bought yesterday.  A teasing relief from nylon parachute cord. 

exhibition schedule spring / summer 2008

"Art is born of the observation and investigation of nature." -- Cicero

Leucocyte V, 2006, bead embroidery, 18" diameter - photo Sanders Visual Images

Solo Exhibition
Jewish Healthcare Foundation, Pittsburgh, PA - A Body of Work  --  May 5 – August 5 

The exhibition will feature work from my Chirurgi series including new embroidered and knitted works.

   

 Group Exhibitions
Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, IL– One Breath / One World  --  April 8 – May 23

Join me at the opening at 5pm on Thursday April 10^th.

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Chicago, IL – Lawn Nation -- May 22 - September 7

Check out my Throne of Thyme in the museum garden this summer! 

San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles. San Jose, CA – Beyond Knitting: Uncharted Stitches  --  June 17 – August 24

A survey of contemporary art utilizing knitting as its primary medium.

 
Public Art
United States Botanic Garden, Washington, D.C. – Cool Globes / One Planet - Ours!  -- May 24 – October 13

Cool Globes is on the road!  Big Blue, properly known as "Adjust Your Thermostat," will be at our national botanic garden as part of an exhibition focusing on sustainability. 

 
Performance Art
Looptopia, Chicago, IL – Attachments  --  May 2 from 6 – 10pm
Will you be in Chicago  May 2^nd? Enjoy the festivities of Looptopia while becoming part of it!  Contact me to have a garment custom-made that physically joins you to one you love.  Deadline for inquiries is April 15. 

 
At Your Local Newsstand – Available April 15!
Read my article “Knit.1, Green Too” in the Summer 2008 issue of Knit.1. Learn more about eco-active artists using knit and crochet to make green statements.

In Print
See my work in this fabulous history of American knitting - Knitting America: A Glorious Heritage from Warm Socks to High Art by Susan M. Strawn.

Two of my sweater designs are featured in Expectant Little Knits: Chic Designs for Moms to Be by Suzanne J.E. Tourtillot.

The latest Barnes and Noble how-to series, Quamut Charts, features my cloche hat design! Download the pattern and crochet one of your own for summer. 

pulmonary

"Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it."  --  Lily Tomlin

Mom's heart condition has me worried about my own.  I've been experiencing heart pounding panic attacks these past few days.   I am delighted to announce that my position as an Interim Director of Education is coming to a close with the hiring of a permanent replacement, but the transition is nerve wracking.  There is so much to do, so much to demonstrate and I know that all my best efforts will never live up to my own expectations.  I am an idiot and well aware of it.  There is no reason to have such high expectations other than I tend to live by my own moral code and sense of work ethic.  It has generally held me in good stead, but sometimes it is a royal pain in the heart. 

A few lovely things happened today which I wish to share.  (You see, I am making a conscious effort to focus on the positive and not the negative nigglies....)  First, I started teaching a knitting class at a fixed income housing facility for seniors. It was lovely.  We used knitting frames rather than needles as the tools are gentler to arthritic hands.  Within minutes they were knitting away.  I love working with this group.  The stories they tell are fascinating, though today's conversation about who is getting and giving booty had me blushing.   I tell ya, these ladies tell as it is.   

Later I heard from folks at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.  They accepted my proposal for their upcoming exhibition "Lawn."  This is my second public installation in less than a year!  I also learned that Big Blue will be going to San Francisco.  It will be part of the traveling exhibition of Cool Globes.

Special thanks to Corinne of Lucky Penny's Workshop.  She named Big Blue as a her best link of 2007.  If you haven't strolled over to her workshop, you are in for a hilarious treat about the adventures of one knitter, her dog, her man and an outrageous yarn stash (she makes mine look pathetic). 

mother nature

"The attitude that nature is chaotic and that the artist puts order into it is a very absurd point of view, I think.  All that we can hope for is to put some order into ourselves."  --  William de Kooning

If I were to describe my work in one word, the word would be healing.  In the Visions of Paradise series,   I wanted to present an alternative to all the negative energy swirling around this planet - war, famine, global warming, etc.  I wanted to make something beautiful, to provide a place for the eyes to rest and relax.  I couldn't always be puttering in my garden, so I turned to embroidered landscapes.  They offered an advantage over an actual garden, they're portable. 

People don't exist in these works, but their presence is implied. I think of this presence as a version of neutral carbon footprints, a hope that we can live on this planet with respect for self, others and planet.  But occasionally my anger and despair slip out.  The above piece Mother Is Crying is an example.  I was living in England soon after the Cherynobl disaster.  Meat was being sold in butcher shops as "Cherynobl" affected.  I still wonder if there was a cancer spike in England as a result.  I know there was in Cherynobl and its surrounding communities.

I grew up in Missouri where the disaster at Times Beach made the national news in the 1980's.  Stupidity, greed and arrogance resulted in outrageously dangerous levels of dioxin in the soil.  The town had to be deserted.  For many years as you drove along  Route 66, you would see men in white decontamination suits cleaning up the mess.  All that remains is a small state park with a plaque. 

When applying to one graduate program, I was asked why I didn't study landscape design if I love gardens as much as I do.   As I've stated, gardens aren't portable.  I wanted to bring the garden to those who could not or did not reach out to Mother Nature.   Some would say that gardening is a form of colonization through the direct shaping and controlling of nature.  Every gardener will tell you that this is a joke.  Mother Nature is always in control.  I simply try to enjoy what she has to offer, to share her wonders with others.

What I've enjoyed about being part of the environmental project Cool Globes is the focus on solutions.  Mother Is Crying is not a solution, only a highlight of environmental disasters.  How many times can one be banged over the head about the disastrous state of our environment before tuning out?  Yet even the smallest positive change can reap huge benefits.  It can be as basic as wearing a sweater rather than turning up the thermostat or planting a tree in your backyard.      

Since that first garden planted under the "El" tracks of Chicago, I have attempted to plant a small garden at every residence I have lived.  When I first moved to London, I arrived  in late December, not prime gardening weather.  So, I visited Kew Gardens and sketched inside the greenhouses, read everything written by Gertrude Jekyll (I named my beloved schnauzer Gerttie after her.) and absorbed all I could of the London parks.   Gardens can be as beautiful in winter when dormant as in summer when in full bloom. 

You know, I never did embroider a winter garden....hmmmm.

take me away

"Calgon take me away." -- American television commercial

There are times when I need to be alone.  My new job is fun, but incredibly demanding.  I now manage the education program at a local art center.   It's only a temporary position, but requires the focus and energy as if it were permanent.  The demands of over 50 faculty and the general public has me running from morning through evening.  I've been coming home so tired that I've had little energy for more than dinner followed by sleep. 

Last night was the auction for Cool Globes.  I stayed home.  Yes, I know I should have been there schmoozing with the best of them, but I needed to be alone, focused on myself and my work.  I have a new performance premiering at the end of the month that requires my making 12 hats.  Normally this wouldn't be an issue.  It takes me approximately 2 hours to make an adult-sized hat, so one a night, but tendinitis in the elbows slows me down.  I will have everything ready just in the nick of time by my estimation. 

So there I was, me and the tv with my sidekicks Jack the Pomeranian and Josie the Monster Pup.  Josie's latest trick is to play with the yarn as I am knitting.  I don't know if you cat moms and dads have a similar issue, but dogs aren't supposed to be enamored with yarn.  At one point Josie had the yarn hooked across her paws and wound around her tail.  Cute, but annoying.  She had the nerve to look at me as if I was the problem.   Never mind that I had to get up at several points to fetch the yarn out from under the couch.   It does beg the question of who is the better trained.

bye big blue

"Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true."  --  Lyman Frank Baum

Yesterday was the final day of the Cool Globes exhibit.  Sweet Pea and I went to say say good bye.  It took several months to paint and knit and has been on display for last 4, effectively a part of my life for the last 7 months.  I hope she finds a good home.  The auction is this Friday and it's going to be quite the swell affair.

I've made my piece with the sag.  It's irksome as I take pride in my craftsmanship.  I trust my skills, but some things are just not meant to be.  Big Blue preferred to wear a sweater with a bit more give at the base than I had intended.  I mended her back in May, taking out a foot of rows, but all those loving touches had their effect.  I watched as people passed her.  No one could resist reaching out to see if the sweater was real.  Children grabbed and took a swing.  Adults pulled and gave the sweater a snap.  It's okay.  She held up.  There is little sign of fading.  Nothing has been cut or frayed.  Folks seem to like her.  All is well with the world.

The experience has been more than slightly amazing.  I've learned much technically.  I've met many artists.  Friends and strangers alike have been sending me photos of themselves in front of the globe.  Publicity continues to occur.  Big Blue was recently featured in Fiberarts and Piecework. In two weeks I will taking part in a panel discussion co-sponsored by Around the Coyote Arts Festival and the Wicker Park Garden Club.  She is even the inspiration for a local high school biology project.  Just how cool is that!

What's next?  Hmmm.  A performance connecting a dozen people with knitted garments.  If you live in Chicago and want to participate, let me know.  It will be taking place later this month. 

ribbon cutting

"It is my hope that the Cool Globes exhibit will spur other innovative programs and solutions to the challenges we face as a city and nation." --  Mayor Richard M. Daley

That's him.  The guy way far away at the podium, Mayor Richard M. Daley himself.  As you can see, the place was packed.  I tried to get closer for a better photo, but I couldn't wedge myself through the crowds.  So I stayed cool in the shade on the front steps of the Field Museum taking in the whole festival environment.

Today has been delightfully overwhelming.  A breakfast for the artists, music, speeches, free goodies, and lots of conversations with the press.  It will be interesting to catch tonight's news as it seems every station in the city had sent a camera crew.

Big Blue is looking great.  She has survived two torrential rains since her repair last Friday and not a problem in sight.  I watched as hoards of local school children touched her. 

"Oooh, it's so rough.  You'd think it'd be soft."  "Wow!  It's all knitted!"  One preschooler grabbed hold and swung from her using all she had.  Not a problem!!! Big Blue took it in her stride.  Oh yeah!  I felt like doing a jig.

Instead I opted for the "oh-so-cool-and-casual" pose.

Meeting up with friends made while working on Big Blue was the best part.  We formed a sort of family or alliance, each helping the other.  This is Carol Lou Giannasi with her husband.  You need to see Carol's globe.  It is a gorgeous mosaic of recycled / resused / found objects sparkling like a gem in the noon day sun. 

I won't show you Cathi and Paul Bouzide's globe.  You will have to look for it.  But I will give you a hint - it matches her hat.

To complete the morning's festivities, my daughter and I had to have lunch at this local institution.   It's on Michigan Avenue, approximately a 1/2 mile south of the Art Institute of Chicago.  It's located at the base of the Fine Arts Building which is filled with artist studios, dance centers, etc.  If you've never been, go.  The food is diner delicious with deco decor. 

      

every square inch

"Perseverance, secret of all triumphs."  --  Victor Hugo

By now I know every square inch of my globe's surface.  Yes, prior to knitting a sweater for my globe I painted it.  What can I say?  I'm a perfectionist.  I knew the globe's surface would be seen through the mesh of the knit fabric, so I made sure that what was seen matched my quality standards.  A shiny blue and green marble protected by a 32 lb monster of a sweater. 

After high winds and  rain forced the "ruffles" of the northern hemisphere to shift south, I was faced with the unpleasant prospect of ripping and re-knitting.  Yesterday, I did just that.  The knitting took less time as I removed over 40 rows and 24 stitches, but it certainly was more difficult.  Have you ever knit upside down?  Or twisted like a pretzel?  I was working on site, so I couldn't unbolt the globe and turn her on her side, so there I was upside down and twisted like a pretzel. 

I was the unexpected performance.  "Hey honey, look over there!  There's an artist!  A real live artist!  Let's see if she will talk to us!" - Or was I really just an outdoor exhibit extension for the Field Museum? -  I mean really.  Does anyone address the business fellow in such a manner as he clickety clacks away on his computer while commuting to work?  The comment was funny the first time, but incredibly annoying after the 40th.  I like to work in and with the public, but the zoo show commentary was bizarre.  It makes me wonder about this image of the artist as eccentric and loner.  Okay, I admit that knitting a globe in the wind and sun while upside down and twisted like a pretzel may be viewed as slightly eccentric, but I find it equally odd to walk into a cafe and see everyone, and I mean everyone, bent over their laptops ignoring the world around them.  Do they send secret emails to each other?  What happened to cafes as places to socially interact? 

But I digress, the globe is back to a pristine sphere.  Or is she?  Last night brought more high wind and rain........  Fingers crossed.

knit picky

"Better to repair the pen after the sheep have escaped than not at all."  --  Chinese proverb

The matter is settled.  I must fix the southern hemisphere.  My ruffles and flourishes at the top slid south.  Rain acted as a greater lubricant than anticipated.  Lesson learned and not to be repeated. 

A number of globes require repair.  Torrential rain and severe winds wreaked havoc on them last week, but I am pleased that despite it's slight deformity, my globe is stable.   The technicians at Chicago Scenic did not see the need for repair.  But I am  knit picky. I need my sphere.  A day's work will return it back to shape without much muss or fuss.   Goodbye Gilbert Grape. Big Blue the Blueberry returns.

Big Blue

"Ripple of blue in which are
distinct blues.  Bold
centaur-seahorse-salt-carnation
flower of work and transition." 
  --  Denise Levertov

Mixed feelings. "Warm Up Chicago: Wear a Sweater," affectionately known as Big Blue the Blueberry is no longer the lovely sphere I had created.  Wind and rain have already created dramatic changes.  There is some sag along the South Pole where cord had once been knitted smooth and taut. 

Possible causes -  The industrial polyester braid I used had more give than told.  The gentle ripples along the northern hemisphere proved to be too heavy and shifted.  My knitting was not as taut as I thought. 

I don't know.

I can't say the piece looks bad.  It doesn't.  The turtleneck at the North Pole is askew.  It could do with a small "yank" and shift, but the draping sag gives the piece new meaning and possibilities. But it isn't what I visualized.  I loved the neatness of the sphere. 

Do I leave it alone?  Or do I request permission to reknit the lower 1/8th of the globe now that it has already been installed and seen by thousands?  It is easily visible from the southbound lanes of Lake Shore Drive and near the main entrance into the Field Museum.  I really couldn't ask for better placement. I didn't realize that it was visible from Lake Shore Drive until I was driving home and saw it in the rear view mirror.  I was so proud, which made me freak out even more.  Should I consider this an experiment in progress?   I've never knit anything so large (not counting the Red Thread Project).  I've never knit with polyester braid.  I've never left my work out in the rain for extended periods of time.  I wanted to prove that knitting is an outdoor medium that lends itself to sculptures and installations.  Have I proved that despite the unanticipated sag?  Am I being a perfectionist and should get over myself?   

My friend Lisa Whiting, fellow artist and installation knitter, is joining me tomorrow to take a look at Big Blue.  I need another opinion.  I need to figure out what the heck happened. I take pride in my skills, so the sag is annoying.  I didn't make it, so it shouldn't be there.  Oh, ugh.

After pondering, photographing and quizzing dozens of passerby for their opinions, I took a walk.  It didn't stop me thinking, but the initial urge to scream was short circuited.