Friday, September 21, 2012

melissa maddonni haims Yarn Bombing -oooOO ahh ohhh....


this is called breast strokes.....
originally created in 2010 for a show whose focus was on breast cancer awareness month.
ps. since my mom died of breast cancer on january 7, 2008.
she taught me how to knit and crochet a number of times during my life, but it really stuck right before she died. 
read: i've never really created anything with needles or hooks until 2007.
and without her i probably never would have. 







i have always had a very deep respect for transformative art. i am inspired by those who can take materials from their immediate environment and create or capture a moment that brings forth joy. Melissa Madonna Haims was born and raised in norristown pennsylvania. her father was an excavating contractor which entails digging and preparing sites for construction. her mother Theresa Maddoni was a craft artist. in fact both her paternal and maternal grandparents worked with fabrics in the context of knitting, crochet and sewing. hence, Melissa growing up had been influenced by creativity. as a young adult she studied at the Parsons school of Design where she received a degree in fine arts and marine affairs. she has worked in new York for several years as an established installation artist. this role would entail going to a gallery space and transforming the space with art. she also had a long standing career as an Interior Designer for the carpet industry managing large accounts in the states and abroad within corporate sector. not too long ago her mother passed away and she began to work on her unfinished knitting projects. diligently one by one as her mother’s spirit quietly guided her. one day she wasn't quite sure what to do ...with one of her mother’s projects and she decided she would make something else. maybe the piece became a soft sculpture or a component to a mixed media fixture ...melissa was evolving and had progressed as a fiber artist. she began working with fibert art genres described as; yarn bombing which involves crocheting or knitting on existing public or private structures, hyperbolic crochet entails applying a mathematical approach to crochet patterns, mixed media pieces and soft sculpture. melissa is an active member of the 3rd street gallery, a cooperative gallery in old city. she is on the executive team for Fiber Philadelphia 2012, a city wide festival exploring the fiber arts. currently melissa has made a shift and is working as an independent artist. this allows her to spend more time with her daughter and husband and though she truly enjoyed working as an employee, there has become such a demand for her art work that she must focus on writing grants, securing commissions and building her business. i see symbolism in the act of yarn bombing ....visualize and actively bring your dreams to life. karimu abena hamilton







 
 



knit graffitti
 
 













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