**Ok, students are showing up for a meeting in 28 minutes... gotta make this efficient**
I was pondering the other day people's ability to recognize famous artists. Not everyone has this ability, but those who like art and study it can look at a painting (without seeing the artist's name) and know that it's a Smith or a Johnson. I am no good at this. Art is interesting to me, but I can't tell a Monet from a Manet (oh, that brings back a funny memory from college of running through the Philadelphia Art Museum moaning Monet, Manet).
In any case, I'm impressed when someone can just know an artist by the style of painting, colors used, and lines created. I have been realizing slowly, that I do have some of that same ability, but it has no relation to painting or sculptures. But I've found that when browsing through Ravelry looking at patterns or flipping through knitting magazines, there are some designers that I can recognize simply by looking at the knit. One of my favorites (and probably the easiest to spot) is Norah Gaughan. But there are others as well.
I also find the same skill when identifying yarns. I can look at a picture of a skein (unlabeled) or something knit, and make a pretty good identification of the yarn. Now, I'm not saying I have some master skill or amazing ability. In fact, I can probably only do these things 1 or 2 times out of 10, but I like thinking about the knowledge I'm gaining about knitting, yarn, and design. I like to think about it in comparison to individuals who study art or architecture or music. You learn the elements and compositions, you learn the styles and trends, you learn the traditions and combinations. I like that knitting is becoming more than just a pastime and more than a productive process, but that it includes learning and thinking and artistic type knowledge.
Wouldn't it be awesome if there was a knitting museum? There can be samples from famous knitwear designs, or even famous designs that everyone had to have (clapotis?). There can be skeins of yarn to represent the popular brands, unique fiber compositions, and beauty of handpainted. You can spend a leisurely afternoon with your knitbuddies exploring and petting (this would have to be a "please touch" museum). "Hey come check out the Elizabeth Zimmerman wing," "wow, look at the wall of every color of Koigu ever produced," "let's check out the hall of knitting horror!"
Comments (5)
I can do that with certain classical composers and certain painters because I've had a good deal of repeated experience with them. It's really cool to realize one has acquired that discrimination!
Posted by Cordelia | February 7, 2008 12:47 PM
Posted on February 7, 2008 12:47
I am one of those people that does have the ability to look at a painting and tell who painted it. It's what made me decide to major in Humanities when I was in college, in the hope that some day I would teach Art History. That didn't happen for many reasons, but I do still have the ability. Some of it is just exposure. The more you are exposed to something, the better you get at identifying it. You can see it happening with your knitting. The rest of it though is almost instinctual. I don't know how I know it. That doesn't really make sense, does it? lol It's like, I can look at a painting and see something in it that just makes me know its a Kandinsky or Monet or whatever. I don't know how to explain it. It may be you're starting to see it in the knitting, just because you are more interested in the knitting. I spend huge amounts of time at Museums. I am fortunate enough to have some of the best museums in the U.S. within an hour drive of me. I love going to special exhibits and can spend a whole day just wandering around a museum looking at paintings. I don't know how to explain it better than that. :)
Posted by Leslie | February 7, 2008 2:05 PM
Posted on February 7, 2008 14:05
I also can recognize artists most of the time, but I'm getting my master's in art history, so it's kind of a job requirement.
I would absolutely love this knitting museum you've described! There are pieces of it in textiles collections and crafts museums, but nothing as comprehensive and marvelous as yours.
Also, I want a cartoon museum. Every animation ever made, and they could have a library of archived episodes so you could completely immerse yourself in shows. I guess that would be better as a website, but still. It'd be awesome.
Posted by Vicki | February 8, 2008 12:50 AM
Posted on February 8, 2008 00:50
Went to the Cowichan Indian Village in BC this past summer and there was a little museum dedicated to their famous knitting skills. Very interesting.
Posted by Li_B | February 9, 2008 11:47 AM
Posted on February 9, 2008 11:47
And the museum should have some tactile displays. After all, knitting also about the feel of the project, right?
Posted by Carol | February 9, 2008 11:30 PM
Posted on February 9, 2008 23:30