Strings Attached at Adjacent to Life

Adjacent To Life, presents Strings Attached by Christine Wilcox Ackerman.

Artist's statement:

Is crochet art? A male friend of mine asked me that recently when I was showing him my current textile piece. His question made me wonder is crochet associated with feminism and domesticity and is that why he can’t see it as art? For me personally, I think art can be made out of any materials: cheap markers, cardboard, oil paint, found objects and art can even be a concept. A big part of art is the meaning and intention behind it as well as the process of making it.

Over and over again, people have asked me about the functionality of what I make. What is it? What is it for? Is it a skirt, a blanket, a dress? Why do people think and want the textile to be utilitarian?

My paternal grandma Eula taught me how to crochet when I was 5. She was visiting us in San Bernardino, California from her home in Tillamook, Oregon. I used to make squares for my cat to sit on. I sometimes would unravel what I’d made. My mother would give me a hard time about my unraveling and say I never finished anything. Crocheting for me was more about the process; doing the repetitive hand motions and actions and creating something tangible to hold. I enjoyed working with different types of yarns, choosing ones for their color and their feel.

I later learned that a lot of the white square crochet pieces my mom would drape on our couches were made by my maternal aunts who lived in the Philippines. They were similar to American “granny squares”, but usually were made out of ecru or white thread into floral and pineapple motifs.

In my mid 30’s, I started crocheting again after my daughter was born. I would breastfeed her and I’d get antsy wanting to get up and work on my art. I found using a tiny crochet needle with thin thread was something I could do while holding her and feeding her.

Prior to this I was painting a lot of miniature paintings. The intimacy of a small piece has always been appealing to me. It is a private interaction and almost like a one-on-one situation with another person. I like the thought of undivided attention. Smaller works draw a viewer (human or cat - hehe) in to look at them closely.

Ultimately, care, attention, focus and patience are motivators behind what I create. Particularly with crochet, the meditative aspects of the creation stage is very important to me.

- Christine Wilcox Ackerman

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Strings Attached is on view through January 23, 2025 at the Adjacent To Life gallery housed in Ninth Street Espresso (341 E. 10th Street at Ave B, New York City). Artist's reception: Saturday, December 14, 7:00 - 9:00 pm.