Breasts
As part of my explorations into knitted sculptural forms and colour, I knitted a series of breasts. Each is different in terms of shape, size and colour. It was useful to knit these similar forms, yet to adapt each one as I knitted.
I quite like the idea of all the breasts stitched together, maybe as a wearable sculpture, a wall of breasts or a walk-in installation. The idea of multiple breasts is strange as it I'm sure it will be read differently by different people. They're part of at least half the population's daily lives, they sustain life, they have been objectified, revered and feared throughout history. Some people might sexualise them, while others might celebrate them as symbols of breastfeeding. Some people might see them as 'essentialist'. Judy Chicago's large scale installation, The Dinner Party, for example, which features a ceramic vulva at each place setting, was originally disapproved of by some feminists. Others still might find them funny.
I quite like the idea of all the breasts stitched together, maybe as a wearable sculpture, a wall of breasts or a walk-in installation. The idea of multiple breasts is strange as it I'm sure it will be read differently by different people. They're part of at least half the population's daily lives, they sustain life, they have been objectified, revered and feared throughout history. Some people might sexualise them, while others might celebrate them as symbols of breastfeeding. Some people might see them as 'essentialist'. Judy Chicago's large scale installation, The Dinner Party, for example, which features a ceramic vulva at each place setting, was originally disapproved of by some feminists. Others still might find them funny.
Single breasts
The breasts were wonderful to knit in public as they are small enough to easily carry around, but I did get some odd looks as I knitted the first one on the train to London!
Knitting on the train
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I started with the colours of my flesh - pale pinks and tans - and knitted a number of different forms with different coloured nipples, but then began to think about different kinds of diversity - colour was the most obvious, and mastectomy, of course (see below). I started to use a wider range of flesh colours. I did question whether it would be seen as acceptable for a white artist to knit breasts of colour, though.
Each breast is different. I've made 14 so far. They're life sized, and approximately 18 x 18 x 10, but variable.
Each breast is different. I've made 14 so far. They're life sized, and approximately 18 x 18 x 10, but variable.
Mastectomy
I knitted these two especially for my sister in law who's had a single mastectomy:
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Multiple breasts
