丝线大爆炸

丝线大爆炸I’matextileartist.Mostwidelyknownforstartingtheyarnbombingmovement.Yarnbombingiswhenyoutakeknittedorcrochetedmaterialoutintotheurbanenvironment,graffitistyle.Or,mostspecificallywithoutpermissionandunsanctioned.ButwhenIstartedthisover10yearsago,Ididn’thaveawordforit,Ididn’thaveanyambitiousnotionsaboutit,Ihavenovisionsofgrandeur.AllIwantedtoseewassomethingwarmandfuzzyandhuman-likeonthecold,steel,grayfaçadethatIlookedateveryday.SoIwrappedthedoorhandle.IcalledthistheAlphaPiece.LittledidIknowthatthistinypiecewouldchangethecourseofmylife.Soclearlythereactionwasinteresting.ItintriguedmeandIthought,“WhatelsecouldIdo?”CouldIdosomethinginthepublicdomainthatwouldgetthesamereaction?SoIwrappedthestopsignpolenearmyhouse.Thereactionwaswild.Peoplewouldparktheircarsandgetoutoftheircarsandstareatit,andscratchtheirheadsandstareatit,andtakepictureofitandtakepicturenexttoit,andallofthatwasreallyexcitingtomeandIwantedtodoeverystopsignpoleintheneighborhood.AndthemorethatIdid,thestrongerthereaction.SothispointI’msmitten.I’mhooked.Thiswasallseductive.Ifoundmynewpassionandtheurbanenvironmentwasmyplayground.Thisissomeofmyearlywork.Iwasverycuriousaboutthisideaofenhancingtheordinary,themundane,eventheugly,andnottakingawayitsidentityoritsfunctionalitybutjustgivingitawell-tailoredsuitoutofknitting.Andthiswasfunforme.Itwasreallyfuntotakeinanimateobjectsandhavethemcometolife.So…Ithinkweallseethehumorinthis,but…IwantatapointwhereIwantedtotakeitseriously.Iwantedtoanalyzeit.IwanttoknowwhyIwaslettingthistakeovermylife,whyIwaspassionateaboutit,whywereotherpeoplereactingsostronglytoit.AndIrealizesomething.Weareliveinthisfast-paced,digitalworld,butwestillcraveanddesiresomethingthat’srelatable.Ithinkwe’veallbecomedesensitizedbyouroverdevelopedcitiesthatwelivein,andbillboardsandadvertisements,andgiantparkinglots,andwedon’tevencomplainaboutthatstuffanymore.Sowhenyoustumbleuponastopsignpolethat’swrappedinknittingandseemssooutofplaceandsograduallyweirdlyyoufindaconnectiontoit,thatisthemoment.ThatisthemomentIloveandthatisthemomentIlovetosharewithothers.Soatthispoint,mycuriositygrew.IwentformthefirehydrantsandthestopsignpolestowhatelsecanIdowiththismaterial.CanIsosomethingbigandlarge-scaleandinsurmountable?Sothat’swhenthebushappened.Thiswasarealgamechangerforme.I’llalwayshaveasoftspotinmyheartforthisone.Atthispoint,peoplewererecognizingmyworkbuttherewasn’tmuchouttherethatwaswrappedinknittingthatwaslarge-scale,andthisdefinitelywasthefirstcitybustobewrappedinknitting.Soatthispoint,I’mexperiencing,orI’mwitnessingsomethinginteresting.I’mmayhavestaredyarnbombingbutIcertainlydon’townitanymore.Ithadreachedglobalstatus.peoplefromallofworldweredoingthis.AndIknowbecauseIwouldtraveltocertainpartsoftheworldthatIneverbeentoandI’dstumbleuponastopsignpoleandIknewIdidn’twrapit.SoasIpursuedmyowngoalwithmyartthisisalotofmyrecentworksowasyarnbombing.Yarnbombingwasalsogrowing.AndthatexperienceshowedmethehiddenpowerofthiscraftandshowedmetherewasthiscommonlanguageIhadwiththerestoftheworld.ItwasthroughthisgrannyhobbythisunassuminghobbythatIfoundcommonalitywithpeoplethatIneverthoughtI’dhaveaconnectionwith.SoasItellmystorytoday,I’dalsoliketoconveytoyouthathiddenpowercanbefoundinthemostunassumingplaces,andweallpossessskillsthatarejustwaitingtobediscovered.Ifyouthinkaboutourhands,thesetoolsthatareconnectedtous,andwhatthey’recapableofdoingbuildinghousesandfurniture,andpaintinggiantmuralsandmostofthetimeweholdacontrolleroracallphone.AndI’mtotallyguiltyofthisaswell.Butifyouthinkaboutit,whatwouldhappenifyouputthosedown?Whatwouldyoumake?Whatwouldyoucreatewithyourownhands?AlotpeoplethinkthatIamamasterknitterbutIactuallycouldn’tknitasweatertosavemylife.ButIdidsomethinginterestingwithknittingthathadneverbeenbefore.Ialsowasn’t“supposedtobe”anartistinthesensethatIwasn’tformallytrainedtodothissoI’mamathmajoractuallysoIdidn’tthinkthiswasinthecardsforme,butIalsoknowthatIdidn’tstumbleuponthis.Whenthishappenedtome,Iheldontight,IfoughtforitandI’mproudtosaythatIamaworkingartisttoday.Soasweponderthefuture,knowthatyoufuturemightnotbesoseamless.Andoneday,youmightbeasboredasIwasandknitadoorhandletochangeyourworldforever.Thankyou！（Applause）