NEW YORK—Ernesto Neto has elevated the art of crochet, creating a series of interactive installations and inviting visitors to walk through them. The brightly colored works are suspended from the ceiling at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery. Navigating the lightweight structures is a thrilling experience, an adventure that belies logic. A clever balancing act—”gravity, weight, and tension to dictate form as plastic balls in different shades provide a counterweight”—makes them walkable.
According to the gallery, “Crochet has become an important part of Neto’s formal vocabulary over the last two years, and the artist has translated this craft traditionally done by women on a small, delicate scale to structures of massive proportions. The basic units of crochet, string and knots, serve as Neto’s paint and his paintbrush, with the gallery as his canvas.”
Neto lives and works in Rio de Janeiro. The Brazilian artist’s “Slow iis goood” exhibit is on view from April 14 to May 25, 2012.
All photos by Arts Observer
Above and top of page, “The Island Bird,” 2012 (polypropylene and polyester rope, plastic balls).
Detail of “The Island Bird.”
“Grub,” 2012 (polypropylene and polyester rope, plastic balls and wood).
From left, “Green Hammock” and “Blue Hammock,” both 2012 (polypropylene and polyester rope and plastic balls).
Installation view of “The Sun Lits Life, Let the Son.”
Detail of “The Sun Lits Life, Let the Son.”
“The Sun Lits Life, Let the Son,” 2012 (polypropylene and polyester rope, plastic balls, plants, terra cotta, black pepper, turmeric, cumin, and cloves).