DISASSOCIATED KNITTING
by Lauren Wold
E-mail: laurenwold@laurenwoldart.com
E-mail: laurenwold@laurenwoldart.com
Artist's Statement
My mother taught me basic knitting techniques when I was five years old. Knitting has always been a satisfying activity for me. Over the years, though, I felt the need to go beyond the usual constraints associated with functional knitting. I became intrigued with a wider artistic expression using the techniques with which I was familiar.
Functional (or craft) knitting is widely known and is a common activity, yet non-functional knitting as an art form is not widely seen. The demand of traditional knitting that form needs to follow function limits the artist's creative possibilities. The way I have combined traditional knitting techniques with my own innovations bridges functional knitting and knitting solely for personal expression.
Knitting techniques can be used to produce works of art that have qualities of painting and sculpture. For example, a corn stitch can be used to create a painterly blending of colors. Other stitches can be used to vary texture, such as a honeycomb or blackberry stitch. Sculptural forms can be achieved by knitting three-dimensional elements or by bending or folding knitted segments. Patterns can be transformed by varying form and/or texture, creating new patterns as a result.
The intrinsic nature of the loops (the basic unit of knitting) used in knitting give the work a dynamic elasticity. This living quality makes it as much a part in determining the direction of the work as the artist.
I start a project with the germ of a visual image in my mind based on one or a combination of the four elements (color, form, texture and pattern) without having knowledge of the completed piece. This is exciting and frustrating at the same time because I don't know initially what the next step is but I know it's going to go somewhere. The endless possibilities are exciting. But the entire concept of a piece cannot be forced into view – it takes shape more as a puzzle, with no instructions or map as to how to proceed. As I work I reconsider where the piece is going based on how the elements work together at any point. This can lead to much unraveling and radical changes at any given moment. But my excitement builds as the ultimate direction for the piece becomes clear.
For me, going beyond the physical boundaries of functional knitting is exciting and l can fully explore my creativity. Knitting, once liberated from its constraints, allows for wide possibilities of pure artistic expression. It is my hope that knitted art will take its rightful place in the art community alongside other fine art modalities.
My mother taught me basic knitting techniques when I was five years old. Knitting has always been a satisfying activity for me. Over the years, though, I felt the need to go beyond the usual constraints associated with functional knitting. I became intrigued with a wider artistic expression using the techniques with which I was familiar.
Functional (or craft) knitting is widely known and is a common activity, yet non-functional knitting as an art form is not widely seen. The demand of traditional knitting that form needs to follow function limits the artist's creative possibilities. The way I have combined traditional knitting techniques with my own innovations bridges functional knitting and knitting solely for personal expression.
Knitting techniques can be used to produce works of art that have qualities of painting and sculpture. For example, a corn stitch can be used to create a painterly blending of colors. Other stitches can be used to vary texture, such as a honeycomb or blackberry stitch. Sculptural forms can be achieved by knitting three-dimensional elements or by bending or folding knitted segments. Patterns can be transformed by varying form and/or texture, creating new patterns as a result.
The intrinsic nature of the loops (the basic unit of knitting) used in knitting give the work a dynamic elasticity. This living quality makes it as much a part in determining the direction of the work as the artist.
I start a project with the germ of a visual image in my mind based on one or a combination of the four elements (color, form, texture and pattern) without having knowledge of the completed piece. This is exciting and frustrating at the same time because I don't know initially what the next step is but I know it's going to go somewhere. The endless possibilities are exciting. But the entire concept of a piece cannot be forced into view – it takes shape more as a puzzle, with no instructions or map as to how to proceed. As I work I reconsider where the piece is going based on how the elements work together at any point. This can lead to much unraveling and radical changes at any given moment. But my excitement builds as the ultimate direction for the piece becomes clear.
For me, going beyond the physical boundaries of functional knitting is exciting and l can fully explore my creativity. Knitting, once liberated from its constraints, allows for wide possibilities of pure artistic expression. It is my hope that knitted art will take its rightful place in the art community alongside other fine art modalities.