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They Said It: End Yarnbombing TODAY

yarnbombingWe had no idea that City Paper‘s “I Love You/I Hate You” still existed, but it does. And if for nothing else, its existence was wholly justified this week:

All of my hatred and repulsion for yarnbombing was cemented one afternoon when I saw a homeless man sleeping in the cold underneath the El in Fishtown. He had no means of warmth or cushioning, just the soiled clothes on his back. Above him, hung a garishly colored “knit-bomb” about the size of a blanket. What a giant fuck you.

People of Philadelphia, today, you give us hope.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 23rd, 2012 at 11:30 am.

  • Fich

    I don’t think stopping yarnbombing (or writing a rant about it) does much to address the systemic causes of homelessness.  If only we had a machine that turned Twee Energy into affordable housing…  If you hate homelessness, you can direct your energy, time or money to affordable housing and service providers like 1260 Housing, Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission or Project H.O.M.E.

  • Steve

    I dislike yarnbombing becuase the bombers don’t clean up their dirt-covered soddened mass of yarn weeks after its lost its form.

    I also don’t think the anger and resentment of the homeless is related to yarn bombing.  Seriously.

  • Arcticsplasher

    “…and then i had to step over that homeless guy and ignore his asking me for help so I could type this sanctimonious message to I Love You/I Hate You.”

  • Fich

    I understand that Steve.  But it’s probably ten times more inane to use  homelessness as a straw man to take down Yarnbombing than it is to knit an afghan for a bike rack.

  • B1ll1chair

    Affordable housing?  There’s plenty of beat up cheap housing in this city.  People are homeless because of addiction and mental illness have ruined their ability to maintain an income stream and/or stable relationships.

  • Dalia Cala

    …zzzzz….

  • Jess.D

    So, anyone who does art should STOP RIGHT NOW and start only doing things for charity. Obviously, if you knit, you should be knitting for the homeless rather than doing something creative or interesting. The fact that this is always the party line for haters DRIVES ME INSANE. Are you kidding me? DO YOU DONATE ALL YOUR FREE TIME FOR CAUSES? Are all your hobbies philanthropic in some way? If you play an instrument, do you only do it to help others rather than just for your own enjoyment? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?

  • Cosette

    I don’t think it’s a rant to investigate  or derail the (extremely complicated) causes of homelessness.  It’s a rant about yarn-bombing and the author is using the juxtaposition of a homeless man next to a bright pink knitted square as a poignant image.  Perhaps references a disconnect/ignorance/insensitivity between the artist the placement of her art.  I studied public art and sculpture and to me it’s a bizarre and perverted version of relational aesthetics.  Remember when Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s umbrellas killed that woman?  Or when their fabric draped islands fucked up the ecology in the surrounding waters.  They are purely aesthetic attempts that have absolutely no regard for public spaces.

  • Cosette

    I have to disagree….I’m a definite hater of knit-bombing because I do not believe it to be creative or interesting–not because it’s not a charitable cause.  Art should not have to be charitable cause, I agree with you whole-heartedly on that point.  (Art is often selfish and it’s sometimes most satisfying that way!,….but you have A LOT of responsibilities when you put your art in the public realm. Please, please consider how your actions effect your environment) 
    But knit-bombing, gah!, it’s been going on for 10+ years now and the message is extremely limited.  There have been some phenomenal pieces like the knit covered tank which was obviously an anti-war message (beautiful use of color and texture to contrast the cold, harsh implications of a war tank…) But what I see around Philadelphia is ugly, boring and void of any concept higher than aesthetics.  And what’s maddening is, it’s not even aesthetically pleasing (of course a subjective thought, but the knit-bombs are so dirty and ratty due to urban/outdoor conditions–not a wise use of materials.)  It saddens me because I am a knitter and it’s such a fascinating craft but it’s being put to a dead-end use.  I have not seen anything creative/artful, complicated/challenging or even slightly appealing with most of the knit-bombs I’ve seen.  It smarts my eyes and my heart too.   

  • daniel

    he had no means of warmth or cushioning except the blanket sized blanket above him!  if i were homeless i’d have ripped that down in a heart beat.