three cheers for the red, white and blue (large)

Browsing around on the internets, as one does when one is sitting in one's office avoiding large deadlined projects, I ran into the huge knit US flag art piece by Dave Cole,  quite a few times. Then, I read Lori's post on it, on her VersaciKnits blog.  She mentioned that her dad, an art collector, has the artist's model of the piece. 

Which prompted my memory of photographing Dave Cole while the piece was installed, up at MassMOCA in 2005.  Back when my blog had 15 readers, on a good day. These are a couple of the images.  If you want to see more of the piece itself and about Dave's work (at least 7 years ago) , take a look at my July 9, 2005 post. Including the model, that's now at Lori's dad's house. (I just love knowing where things end up, don't you?) 

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The funniest thing is, I can't recall what magazine I shot him for.  He continues to incorporate knitting and handsewing and materials that are waaaay outside the box to make his art. Take a look.

thinking outside...of everything

Sometimes life intersects art in the most perfect way. Take a look at who I was working with this week, at Mass MoCA

This guy really knits. I know you want to see close ups:

Do you love the attention to detail? Do you hate when your needles bend from the weight of a heavy knit, too? It took 3 months to plan and two days to knit the flag, over July 4th weekend. It'll be in the courtyard till July 11th so you better hurry, or if you visit this summer, you can see a video of the action. He said it was actually reverse stockinette, with two excavators moving the 25 foot needles and the artist on a cherry picker platform, helping the loops over the needle points.

There's also a display of his piece The Evolution of Knitting in Wartime. He created the needles and coordinated cases that'd be issued to soldiers in all past US Wars, as if knitting was the weaponry they took to battle. Complete with ageing and descriptions of materials. Its too cool. I had a little moment where I thought it was real. I think my mouth gaped. I hated to leave. But go see for yourself, its worth the drive. A place that celebrates those of us who use more than a teaspoon of brain, and ask "what if.....?". And then do it.

Faithfully submitted by one who uses just barely a teaspoon herself ,and thats only on good days.