Craft & Art Crossing Over

Contemporary art and craft are finding all kinds of ways to crossover these days. I could wax philosophical about it, or I could share some compelling examples. Today I'm opting for the latter.

A few days ago our friends Morry and Dennis stopped by with an amazing portrait of their grey tiger cat. But it isn't a painting, a sculpture, or a photograph. It is a fully functional scarf and hat crocheted by their incredibly talented friend Ming Yi Sung. (The piece is modeled here by tres chic cousin Jason.)

Ming Yi is a master crocheter and artist based in Washington, DC, who, besides making beautiful presents for her friends, crafts incredibly elaborate installations, wearable sculptures, and other objects entirely out of crocheted yarn. The work really speaks more eloquently than I could, so I've put some pix below. Check out her excellent website, too, for lots more images.

Another example was mentioned to me yesterday by Corrie Beth Hogg, who is herself an example of an artist bending the edges of craft. (See her website here -- we have her Little Animals here at the shop, with a new batch coming soon.)

She mentioned reading in Bust magazine about a group of women in Texas who go out under the cover of night with their yarn and knitting needles to make, for instance, cozies for stop signs and car antennas. They're called Knitta and they're in NYC too! Check 'em out at www.knittaplease.com. (Thanks, Claire, for writing in with the name!) (paragraph modified 9/13/06).

These examples are just the tip of the iceberg. What else is out there challenging the norms of art, craft, and design?

Unrelatedly, the Adventures of the Travelling Felt Ball has been updated -- see it in Ireland and Italy here!

Ming Yi's "Creation of the World"

Ming Yi Sung's "Fish Out of Water"

Ming Yi's "Tree Sweater"

Corrie Beth Hogg's Little Animals

Cozified ketsup bottle in Brooklyn by Knitta

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Ming Yi Sung
Corrie Beth Hogg

Knitta

crossover art
craft
crochet