Because Women’s Work is Also Art
- — June 25, 2010
The artist explains the inspiration behind her Women’s Work textile broadside, featured in this month's Ampersand section.
HOW: Broadside No. 1 is hand-knitted with Shetland wool, using the traditional Fair Isle knitting technique.
The text is hand-drawn and then drafted into a knitting pattern; the Fair Isle technique takes advantage of the unique natural properties of Shetland wool to create multi-colored designs that are both beautiful and useful. The wool's texture keeps the design flat and legible, without unraveling; and the technique of knitting with two colors at once makes the resulting fabric durable and extremely warm.
WHY: My husband first sparked the idea. He makes his own clothing (I buy mine), which draws quite a number of comments, usually along the lines of "Wow, you made that?"
It's an accomplishment, to be sure — and no mean feat — but it made me think of all those mothers and grandmothers out there who sew clothing, or knit sweaters, or draft patterns from scratch, without any rave reviews — or any comment at all.
Furthermore, there's still somewhat of a societal expectation that a woman should automatically know how to sew or knit or crochet, either as an everyday necessity, or as a "crafty" hobby — certainly never as art. Nevermind that enormous technical skill is required to produce a garment or textile object.
So the textile broadsides are a bit of an indictment of this double standard, and are aimed at both society and the "art world," for denying this "women's work" any merit.
Each one is professionally designed and completely hand-crafted; and with each piece I defy anyone who would dare deem the series unworthy of the term "art." The text reads in the voice of a disapproving female role model — perhaps a mother who unwittingly perpetuates the double standard. •
Image: Women's Work: Broadside No. 1, 2007, hand-knitted Shetland wool, 11 1/2 x 18 1/2 inches. Photo courtesy of the artist.
