-
Knit-picking -
Knit-picking
PHOTOS Tiziana Giardini, Carl Booysen WORDS Debbie Loots
Having outlived the lifespan of a trend, it’s about time that yarnbombing is acknowledged as a movement.
What is it about knitting that has captured the imagination of creatives the world over? Artists Barend de Wet and Pierre le Riche are spearheading it in the local gallery scene, and designer Isabeau Joubert has taken it to Cape Town’s streets.
Straddling the galleries and the streets is man-on-a-mission Mark Rautenbach, whose story’s thread starts with the country’s education crisis. A fine art graduate, Mark fashions his own yarn by sewing together discarded education documents before tearing them into strips that are knitted into his project, The Educators New Clothes.
He makes an arresting sight knitting his heart out on trains, city pavements and rolling fields, accompanied by a giant ball of educational yarn. People stop and engage. And that’s when Mark furthers his cause: getting conversations going about the state of education.
Making similar appearances in galleries, performances and knitting circles, Mark wants to start debates with everyone, until his message reaches those who can make a difference.
Seeking corroboration, Mark has launched the project on Thundafund, an online crowd-funding platform. He would like to finance the documentation of all his conversations in a book with various themes, and also deal with issues raised through all the debates. Support him if you like or, at least, spread the message.
