VISCERA

"Yet... to watch people knit is to be invited into their private world of contemplation and innermost creative expression."

Viscera is a visual representation of the interconnectedness between individuals and society; of how we are all interrelated and interdependent as individuals in a society that shape who we are as people. The people in your life, whether it be close family who know you intimately or the people you meet fleetingly all influence who you were, are and who you will become in the future.

Due to the restrictions of this assignment due to unusual circumstances in 2020, this project has been split into two parts.

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PArT I

Amy & Janice recruited the help of their family and friends to bring this part of the performance to life. The video is a visual documentation of the week-long performance of Viscera. There is a more personal element to Part I of Viscera, in the collaboration & communication between two classmates who didn’t have the chance to communicate face to face during unique circumstances, juxtaposed with the involvement of those who know us the most intimately. The finished product is a lovely amalgamation between being surprisingly similar in aesthetic, while still showing our unique personalities through subtle differences in technique, pattern and length.

Finished KNIT

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PART II- GALLERY PROPOSITION

Two artists sit next to each other facing opposite directions. With each artist working from either end, a single, continuous piece of knitting is created between them. Audience members are asked to participate by approaching the artists and handing them a ball of yarn and a number between 10-60. The artist then knits for a total of 20 minutes for each section before moving onto the next set of instructions from another audience member. As the performance piece progresses, the knitting grows and begins to bunch and curl around the feet of the artists in a never ending, irregular, chaotic tunnel; like viscera. Each section of the viscera represents members of the community that contributed to the art, and metaphorically, to the individual. The walls of the gallery show projections of time lapses that show the artists hands and the work as the piece progresses. The beginning and end of the piece have the same amound of stitches to allow for a smooth connection into a loop. Upon completion of a week of knitting, the artists will sit surrounded by the knitted viscera that was crafted, in response to the requests made by their community.