All the threads of the rainbow

Cape Town artist Pierre le Riche is making exquisite yarn-bombing installations inspired by the Rainbow Nation. With a background in interior design and another in visual art, the cross-disciplinary quality of Pierre’s work is really exciting. Inspired and rejuvenated by the freshness of his work, VISI had to know more… So we asked him.

How did you come to be an artist working with wool?

It wasn’t something I had planned. As most visual artists do I started exploring different techniques to suit a theme, and yarn just seemed to fit with my concept. I must admit that I wasn’t that keen on the idea at first – the idea of covering 150 rugby balls with individually knitted socks was an incredibly daunting thought, but I am very glad I pushed through! Working with yarn lends such tactility to one’s art; it’s really evocative. 

Why do you think there’s such a burgeoning international trend towards thread, wool, knitting and yarn-bombing?

The whole idea behind yarn-bombing is to turn objects or spaces that appear cold and hostile into a welcoming display of colour and texture. You can’t help but smile when you encounter the colourful displays of yarn-bombing and thread art – I think it’s something that millions of people just react to positively. A great example is the US fibre artist, Gabriel Dawe, who creates rainbow installations of thread in sterile gallery spaces.

Please explain your Rainbow Room installation.

The Rainbow Room was an installation created for my graduate exhibition entitled Broederbond, held at the Lovell Gallery in 2012. The installation takes a critical look at the sociological implications of Afrikaner masculine hegemony on homosexuality in post-apartheid South Africa. The room was constructed from 17km of acrylic thread (in the colours of the gay pride flag), created to resemble a traditional Afrikaner voorkamer in the midst of the 1995 Rugby World Cup final match; a significant moment in South African history, and perhaps the last chance the Afrikaner male had to “prove his superiority”. Through the implementation of colourful and playful yarn-bombs onto traditional furniture (with styles such as ball-and-claw and a heritage riempiesbank) and over 150 rugby balls, the concept of homosexuality and masculinity is juxtaposed, questioning the acceptance of same-sex relations in Afrikaner culture. During the course of the exhibition I sat in the room knitting covers for white rugby balls and invited the viewers to join me. The rugby on television was muted against the backdrop, effectively breaking the silence homosexuality receives in the Afrikaner culture.

And Hiërargie, which is a finalist in this year’s Absa L’Atelier competition?

Hiërargie is a sculptural work that serves as an extension of the Rainbow Room installation. It comprises 91 rugby balls, yarn-bombed in the same gay pride colours, and stacked in a pyramid. Once again this work explores homosexuality in terms of Afrikaner masculinity, but in this case the shape of the triangle is explored for its metaphoric value with regards to the patriarchal structure.

What can we expect in Fragments of a Future Passed?

Fragments of a Future Passed is a body of work created exclusively for an online art platform entitled “Out of the Cube”. This collection of works will take a closer, more serious look at the political side of rugby during and post-apartheid. Keep an eye open on www.outofthecube.co.za in October!

Pierre works in Side Street Studios, an inspiringly grungy warehouse that we featured here.

Meet Cape Town’s guerrilla yarn-bomber, Isabeau Joubert, here.