Knitting sculpture by Molly Spier ‘12. From Molly’s artist statement:
“I have been knitting for 10 years, starting when I was a wee camper at a summer camp in the San Juan Islands in Washington State. A woman named Jaina taught me. I remember trying to knit a square, but not having a command over the mechanics, the square increase itself, resulting in an unfinished triangle. Since that first project knitting has been a constant in my life. When I got to Bennington I started surfing knitting blogs. I noticed that knitting projects often weren’t just garments, but that it was possible to be sculptural, even representative through knitting. I took on small projects for friends, making Kiwi birds, bananas with peels, and an octopus with a beer bottle in each tentacle (aptly named ‘Drunktopus’). Entering into Intro Sculpture with Jon Isherwood was a no-brainer. I knew that there were many different things to explore in the fiber medium, and taking sculpture classes has allowed me to get my hands dirty and make things I wouldn’t have expected. I have been making work in the Advanced Sculpture class for four terms now, moving from knitting to spinning to felting. It has been important for me to work in the fiber medium, and through this practice working to understand the significance of being a maker. This term my focus has been on needle felting and making collage. The entry of collage into my work came when I took Mary Lum’s Markmaking and Representation class. Collage is a satisfyingly fast-paced practice for me, while knitting and needle felting takes much more time.”
[Images from the Bennington College Flickr]
- Ellie
