Fargo, ND Street Art

11/6/2013

Yarn bombing. During my trip to Fargo this past weekend I noticed something weird on the light posts... Elaborately knit flowers lazily dripping down over the parking signs. This is yarn bombing, but not the bombing I'm used to seeing the Twin Cities - this is far more decorative and sophisticated in form and presentation.

This is part of an art installation by Mara Morken. A local artist who started doing citywide installations in 2012 which are fully supported by the city of Fargo. Here is the odd part however - she doesn't actually knit herself. The work is subcontracted, and then installed.

While the work is cute and charming, lets call it like it is - this is a safe way of creating "street art". In fact due to its nondestructive and decorative nature I wouldn't classify it as street art at all. It has no message and well, is placed so high up that if you weren't paying attention you'd miss it all together.

What do you think? Is this street art? Or is this public decoration?

2 Comments

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Mara

1/25/2014 02:10:29 am

Gotta say, you have almost entirely mischaracterized this project and that really sucks. A simple google search would explain why these pieces are hug so high (yes, there is a reason for it). And, although I do not knit, this was not a project exclusively for knitters-- it was for fibre artists, of which I am one. The pieces I created were made of felt.

The term "subcontracted" implies that artists were hired. Rather, this was a community project with over 60 volunteers donating their time, talents and materials. You diminish the value of their efforts by referring to them in this way.

You did correctly label this is as a decorative effort. Although, I have never witnessed a "destructive" yarn bombing, this project was meant purely to bring a little color and joy to those passersby in Downtown Fargo.

I suppose we could have pretended that this project wouldn't be welcomed by the local city government and snuck out under the cover of darkness to install it. But, really, that would be for our own amusement. Would that make our efforts have more value? Maybe to hipsters. Fargo, by virtue of being Fargo doesn't have any hipsters to waste the effort.

I think it's unfortunate to devalue other's efforts at spreading joy through art. And, if you intend to so publicly critique these kinds of efforts, you should have respect enough to make sure you have looked into it first.

Elle

1/25/2014 02:24:22 am

No one likes an internet troll.

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