Graduate Studies

Interdisciplinary Master's in Art, Media and Design (MA, MDes and MFA)

Vanessa Krause

Monstrous Making

The practice of learning how to crochet has been long and ongoing. I have learned both in-person from women in my family, but also from the world-wide-web and DIY tutorials. I am interested in using crocheting as a tool to remember the women who taught me these techniques, but also as a way to measure time and the repetitive physical actions required to make anything out of yarn.

“By using the least expensive yarn I could find at a hobby shop, I wanted this piece to become the least precious "thing". The shape of the piece is twisted and uneven, also partially due to the fact that it is thick thread. The piece becomes heavier and more cumbersome the more rows are added. The viewer is invited to continue this unfinished piece. I was inspired by fellow IAMD graduate Omar Badrin, and his work in the show WILD which is currently at the Textile Museum of Canada (WILD, 2019-2020) and uses crochet techniques to make body-sized work. ”