knitibranch  

So it was still there when I went back to photograph it:

Four pieces in two days in Cotati….  The first three were originally intended to be installed together, but I ended up deciding to spread them around town instead:

In the center of town (La Plaza and Old Redwood Highway)

On East Cotati Ave at Lasalle

Old Redwood Hwy Northbound, South of McGinnis

Bike rack in front of Gravenstone's

I’ve thus far been following Streetcolor’s advice in terms of installing my pieces in broad daylight, with an air of one who knows exactly what she is doing, and whose actions are benign, rather than as a vandal in the dark of night.  I don’t like the association of the terms graffiti and “bombing” with this activity, although I can’t help using that language myself in discussing it.

It’s public art that is by its nature ephemeral.  You can create something that will last for a few hours or even for many months, but eventually the piece will be taken down.  Its impermanence is one of the things that sets it apart from vandalism. My goal is not to offend the eye, it’s to add charm to the visual, tactile and social landscape, and maybe, in time, to do something that qualifies as art. But when I miss the mark, it takes 10 seconds with a pair of scissors to make it go away. And if I make something that stays long enough to become weathered and  tattered, maybe that means the work was a success.

Somewhat related: I’m singularly unimpressed with this paragraph in the NYT piece:

“Whether yarn bombing is the work of artists or glorified knitters(1), the view of law enforcement is clear(2): it is considered vandalism or littering. Still, the police seem to tolerate it. Yarn bombers say they rarely have run-ins with the law. And in the few instances when they are stopped, yarn bombers say, the police are more likely to laugh at them than issue a summons (3).”

(1) So according to the NYT knitting is not a valid medium for “art?”

(2) This assertion is about to be contradicted by the rest of the paragraph.

(3) So what was the “clear” view of law enforcement again? Stern, tolerant, oblivious, or condescending?

I put one up in Sonoma today but forgot to bring my camera. Photos to come if it’s still there tomorrow.

My first effort in Sonoma didn’t last long.  I guess the maintenance guys in the Plaza are pretty diligent, but it was fun while it lasted.  My second is still up, though.  It’s on a lightpost on highway 12, right by my friend Tillie’s yarn store:

Yarn bomb near Sonoma Yarn on Hwy 12

I put up my first Sonoma yarn bomb today.  I’d intended this piece to go on a lamp post near my friend Tillie’s yarn shop, but it turned out too narrow, so I went to the Square and wandered until I found a tree of the correct circumference.  I saw two other yarn bombs near the square – makers unknown…..

Yarn bomb at amphitheatre in Sonoma Plaza

Does anyone know who to credit for this yarn bomb?

Does anyone know who to credit for this yarn bomb?

Belatedly, here’s a photo of my last Ecuadorian yarn bomb, at a bus stop across the street from the Hilton in Quito.  We got into Quito too late for me to explore any further from the hotel for a more interesting spot.

Yarn bomb in Quito, Ecuador - March 2011.

Tuesday Mom and I went diving with Scuba Iguana, with ample time to knit while in transit to and from Gordon Rocks.  Yarn bomb #1 is a prickly pear lobe, which found a perfect home on a prickly pear near the giant iguana statue in the center of town.  One lobe had been vandalized, with a big rectangular chunk cut out of it, and it was a sad sight to see. Now it looks like this:

Next, I placed a pole cozy near the trash/recycling bins at the bus stop down the street, with help from one of my fellow travelers, who said she had a blast doing it (and earned herself a glass of champagne, too).

Later, I bumped into a naturalist friend who lives in Puerto Ayora and promises to keep me updated on the status of my tags, long may they wave!

Satellite internet connection has been very limited these past few days, not to mention we’ve been busy diving, hiking, snorkeling, etc. At any rate, here’s the tag I left at Post Office Bay: