Emergence

In this project I am parodying famous artworks by male artists by crocheting them into tapestries. This idea stemmed from the general perceptions surrounding crochet, and other fiber arts, being seen not as an art form but instead as a craft. I wanted to challenge the difference between the two terms by morphing them together in a way that would cause the viewer to reconsider how they view art and its purpose. 

A male lecturer of mine stated that crochet could never be called art due to its practical use, so I have responded to that by displaying these artworks as usable items. There is a shopping bag, a pillow, a stuffed toy, and a rug, in which to walk over his words. I specifically chose to focus on male artists instead of female artists due to the perceived sexism that had caused this divide. Fiber arts such as, knitting, quilting, cross stitch, and more were seen as lesser due to their predominantly female practitioners. Therefore, by parodying men I am challenging their status in the galleries while raising that of the women who came before me. These images are already seen as art, does my method of construction change that?