I haven't used this blog address for a while!
I have been busy with my knitting business and new job, but I have also had little time to do an art project for the Manchester Architecture Festival. Me and an Architect called Jane Leach have been collaborating with a project called Jumper City. Here is more about Jane:
http://www.i-architect.co.uk/
http://twitter.com/#!/architectjane
If you read some blog posts from this blog from 2009 there was a project where I was collecting old unwanted jumpers and sewing them together. Here is a link to the posts:
http://www.purlpuri.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/jump-in-to-jumper-i-mean-in-4-all-4-of.html
http://www.purlpuri.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/development-with-jumper-project.html
http://www.purlpuri.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/jumpers-in-cavendish-gallery.html
In February Jane contacted me and asked if I was interested collaborating with her and after having a meeting and discussing ideas, Jumper City concept was created. Jane wanted to do a project for the Manchester Architecture Festival combining knitting and architecture. The plan became to collect Jumpers and then sewing them together into a big piece that will cover a bus stop.
We have been collecting jumpers from family members and friends, gone through charity shops and clothes swaps. Clothes swaps were organised by a group called Stitched Up, and they are doing all sorts of exciting workshops and fairs. Go and check: https://www.facebook.com/stitched.up.12
We have been working together with the Greater Manchester Transport (http://www.tfgm.com/) and got a permission in using a bus stop at the Piccadilly Gardens.
We have been sessions at Jane's house sewing the jumpers together into panels and planning the visual outcome and practicality of the piece. Jumpers have been taking over Jane's house and a big part of our lives.
Yesterday (Saturday the 16th June), we delivered the workshop at the Cube Gallery (http://www.cube.org.uk/), to finish of the piece and here is some pictures of the event:
Tomorrow we will face our final challenge (with the extra excitement of 6 a.m. start) that is to actually set up the installation in the Public Space. Monday will be a busy commuters day and we are hoping that we will gain a good amount attention. The installation will be on the Bus stop at Piccadilly Gardens, next to Krobar. We will be there until 8 p.m. and are looking forward to meeting all you pass-byers, commuters, lunch-breakers and everyone who is interested in seeing and interacting with our Jumper City piece!
Until Then !
Valpuri and Jane
links in this post:
Photos by Irina Adam
