Thursday, May 15, 2008

Entry #166, Knitta PLEASE!

Graffiti Knitting - or the wrapping of public objects in hand knit mufflers. Traffic signs, plumbing pipes, statues, door handles, lightpoles – no object of reasonable circumference is off limits. It is as if they were warming the cold modern world with colorful mufflers and mittens. In this month’s Statement we thought we would introduce you to two different groups of anonymous graffiti knitters.

Knitta is considered the original graffiti knitting crew. Founded in 2005 in Houston, Texas, their first tag was the door handle of a clothing and accessory boutique that one of them owned. Since then they have expanded their horizons to tagging other cities, and knitting sprees have ensued in El Salvador, Paris, New York City and the Great Wall of China. Even the Museum of Modern Art has begun collecting their pieces. Taking their clues from hip-hop culture, each anonymous member is known by a pseudonym: AKrylik and PolyCotN were the founders and other members include Purl Nekklas, P-Knitty, The Knotorious N.I.T., and MascuKnitity. The group has had 5 female members and one male, aged 21 to 73 and it is estimated that there are as many as twelve copycat crews in the world. The most proficient of which is Masquerade.






More at KNITTAPLEASE!

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