fibers – Kristen Baumlier

Azerbaijani artist Faig Ahmed is an artist whose work focuses on the construction and deconstruction of traditional patterned rugs and carpets. Carpets were initially seen as a sophisticated form of writing rather than a decorative piece. Each element of the pattern was once a written sign. Ahmed’s work explores how a carpet is more a time structure than a graphical one.

In his recent installation, Thread Installation , he creates a visual deconstruction of the complex design of a rug. The patterns and outline of the rug start with the rectangular shape of the rug, but then the edges extend in long pieces of thread across the room. The effect is a rug that seems to be unraveled or created.
In his artist’s statement, Ahmed says “I’ve been always fond of investigating and researching every detail of anything that had interested me… I’m heretofore harried by a question others have left in childhood – “what is inside?” That’s why I’m changing habitual and visually static objects making them spatial, giving them a new depth. And this as if reveals the essence of this object – the object that was mediocre just a minute ago.”

Ahmed’s work can be see on his artist website www.faigahmed.com.

Image Source:
http://www.faigahmed.com/

Links:
http://www.faigahmed.com/

Today I was driving in Carrboro, NC with my sister-in-law and we drove past a series of public graffiti works made of yarn. A knitted piece that looks like watermelon surrounding part of a tree, a group of small trees with arm-band looking pieces on each trunk, and knitted pieces on the railings, poles, and planters of the public library were all part of the “yarn bombing” piece that was put up one night in February.

Also called knit graffiti, yarn bombing started over 20 years ago, when artists and groups wanted to give a softer side to urban environments – and created public works using yarn and other soft fiber materials. Maternal expressions such as knitting, or wrapping up something have been used to transform the cold, concrete, and metal elements in our landscapes. Hydrants, lampposts, mailboxes, bicycles, cars, and even buses and bridges have all been yarn bombed in recent years. In 2009, the book, “Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti” was published, and yarn bombing has gone global, with the first International Yarn Bombing Day held on June 11 of last year.

Not all yarn bombing is created equal. Where I live in Cleveland, a local artist was commissioned to make several pubic yarn pieces that wrap trees and poles in the area. They are bright, crocheted, and colored and function as a decoration on the elements that they cover. the objects are softer, but not transformed into something of substance. . The pieces here in Carrboro are more successful, and a great example of yarn bombing done well. The pieces seem to have a sense of humor, and pattern, color, and context seem to be considered in the works. At the center of the pieces is a bus bench, that has been yarn bombed to read, “I (heart) YARN” – which serves as a artist statement of the group.

Yarn bombing is often considered littering or vandalism. Pieces are often installed at night, and sometimes are removed by city officials. Some groups, like the Carrboro group will get permission before making the pieces, and also follow guidelines such as making the pieces less than 8 feet tall, and on specific public spaces.

Links:

Yarnbombing Hits Carrboro Article

Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti (the Book and Website)

25 Amazing Yarn Bombs – Buzzfeed.com

Kristen Baumlier

Tag: fibers

Faig Ahmed: Constructing and Deconstructing Language in Rugs

Yarnbombing – from Carrboro, NC and Beyond