Crocheting the world

July 1, 2013 7:32 AM

Olek is a crochet artist that is furiously crocheting anything that enters or leaves her life. She's crocheted the Wall Street Bull, a Pedi Cab Rickshaw(piloted by an acrobat), a billboard, text messages, automobiles, bikes, shopping carts, and people. When she's not crocheting the streets she is probably weaving her next art exhibit. This woman has made crocheting her life.
posted by rageagainsttherobots (8 comments total)

previously
posted by munyeca at 7:55 AM on July 1, 2013

I find her work fascinatingly unsettling, especially anything with people. It looks like Pompeii if you'd stuffed Mount Vesuvius with Red Heart.
posted by Metroid Baby at 8:27 AM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

This brings up all kinds of questions-- what kind of yarn does she use? Which crochet stitches? etc. (Wait, does that make me a crochet nerd?) Anyway, fascinating post!
posted by tuesdayschild at 8:51 AM on July 1, 2013

I checked the previously link because I had a bad taste in my mouth about Olek but couldn't remember why, and found my own post from two years ago:

"Olek gave some pretty douchey comments in the recent NYTimes yarn bombing piece. Basically only her yarn art is art. Others are just crafts. It was a little off putting."

Yeah, it's still off putting. Join Ravelry for free and take a look around at lots of other truly wonderful textile art going down all around the world.
posted by telegraph at 8:56 AM on July 1, 2013 [7 favorites]

Basically only her yarn art is art.

Yes, this exactly. While clicking around the links in the FPP, I found this quote from her on her Wikipedia entry, which elicited an intense, immediate dislike:

"Lots of people have aunts or grandmas who paint. Do you want to see that work in the galleries? No."

I'm a photographer and a folk art painter, and while I understand the need for self-confidence and self-promotion, this level of hubris -- the kind that brings others down to raise yourself up -- is just completely distasteful to me. It usually makes me much less interested in that person's art.
posted by flyingsquirrel at 9:52 AM on July 1, 2013 [2 favorites]

She's really obnoxious with the self-promotion, but she does manage to get her message out sufficiently that her work is usually not mislabeled as knit. So that's something.

This brings up all kinds of questions-- what kind of yarn does she use? Which crochet stitches? etc.

I believe it's pretty much all Red Heart Super Saver, and all double crochet stitch. I enjoy her work but wish she'd branch out a bit and maybe realize that other crocheters could have something to teach her, too.
posted by asperity at 10:02 AM on July 1, 2013

I documented one of her works in São Paulo: Jacaré ("alligator"). Images here. [scroll horizontally to view all]
posted by ig at 4:45 PM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

I met her randomly one time and found her rather insufferable. This was before I realized who exactly she was, FWIW.
posted by STFUDonnie at 5:53 AM on July 2, 2013