Bears on Swings.
"Bears on Swings" is a public art installation I did as part of UNBOUND, for our school's art festival. UNBOUND, which I co-curated with my best friend James Pearson, enables students to take their works out of the gallery and studio and place them in a public setting. I built the website and narrated our podcast which James composed. It's good! I participated last year with my piece, "Call Your Mom" and co-curating with James was great.
I have a lot to say about UNBOUND, which has become a platform for controversy regarding the topic of censorship at our school's arts festival, but I don't know if the time is right to discuss it. I'm going to remain gracefully silent for now. Anyway! Here's my statement for Bears on Swings:
Bears on Swings is a celebration of the springtime depicted through nature's most notorious hibernators: bears. The work is comprised of approximately thirty hand-knit stuffed bears suspended by swings from the trees which line the academic mall.
The use of knitting as a medium is part of an ongoing effort in the exploration of the domestic arts. As for the concept, bears on swings are simply adorable.
I simplified Vanessa Carter's Bubby pattern and used size 8 needles and a lot of the acrylic yarn I had from when I was learning how to knit. Into each swing, which I built in our woodshop, I nailed a large nail in order for the bears to have something to sit on and hold them upright. Another successful adorable work!
Also The Hand Off received an honorable mention at the URECA show, where undergraduate students are nominated by professors to submit work. I get $25 and a free lunch in the Dean's Suite.
If you want to see more Bears on Swings installation photos, they're available.
16 April 2008