Bike Rack with jaunty sweater. Photo by Mary Archer
Sometimes it’s the small things…
It was about a month ago, at the beginning of April, that a friend and I noticed something unusual as we cycled south on Charnelton Street.
The timing was impeccable, since it was installed just in time to be admired by the wave of pedestrians who hit the streets of downtown Eugene for the First Friday Art Walk. Not only was the bike rack on the corner of Charnelton and Olive wearing an impeccably-tailored sweater, but many of the animal sculptures along the street sported jaunty scarves as well.
“Yarn-bombing” is a whimsical form of graffiti in which objects in an urban landscape are “tagged” with knitted accessories rather than with spray paint. It is mischievous without being destructive. It is the kind of vandalism that is more likely to make a business owner giggle than call the cops. To quote the website www.identityschool.org, “[Artists] explore an environment in their lives that they view as cold, and transform the space into something warm with the help of graffiti knitting.”
Detail of bike-rack sweater's signature. Photo by Mary Archer.
What does this have to do with bikes, you ask? (Besides the obvious fact that a knitted cover on a rack will likely protect your bike’s paint job.) Simply put, this installation was much easier to notice and admire as a cyclist or pedestrian than from an automobile. It was a special treat designed for those traveling under their own power, a reward for those who take the time to see (and smell and hear) the city at less than 30 mph.
So thank you, yarn-bombers, for making it that much more fun to travel this fair city on two wheels. Let’s see what discoveries May brings!
Possibly Related Posts:
- The Copenhagen ‘Green Wave’
- Delta Ponds Bike & Ped Bridge Dedication
- Adventures with the Bicycle and Pedestrian Count
- Why Do Cyclists Wear Rubber Boots?
- In The News: Eugene cyclists circumnavigate a frozen Russian lake, The Bailey Hill Road Safety Plaza, and the Springfield High Cycling Club to ride Lewis and Clark trail
Great article! I’ll have to keep my eye out. I hadn’t noticed these yet.
Thanks for adding some whimsical articles to WBE. Traditional news is good, but I hope we see more articles like this one on this website.
This particular installation has been removed already, but you can see more photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lampadina/4483026367/
(The yarn-vandals appear to have hit the door to the Saturday Market office, too!)
Glad you are pleased by the combination of bikes and whimsy. It’s a funny little world, and the details can sometimes be better savored on two wheels.
I “tag” things sometimes with my projects–it’s nice to know such efforts make people smile.
For some more truly amazing guerrilla yarn art, check out knittaplease.
Reminds me of this:
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff60/sasquatchmtb/misc%20pics/lustige-bilder-hirnfick-10.jpg