Photographed-in-the-Act "Yarn Bomber" Speaks Out on Cerrito Theater Installation
The "yarn bomber" who calls herself "Streetcolor" and who was photographed adding yarn street art in front of Cerrito Theater replies to those who ask, "Why?"
Photos
The "yarn bomber" who was photographed Monday adding colorful yarn art in front of Cerrito Theater tells Patch why she picked the theater and responds to a reader who asked why she works in this art form.
The yarn bomber, who goes by the nom-de-knitting "Streetcolor" and said she doesn't allow herself to be photographed, was captured on camera by a passing car Monday afternoon as she applied the colorful coverings to two poles and bike rack in front of the historic theater on San Pablo Avenue. (The photos were published that day in our Neighborhood Gallery and on the El Cerrito Patch Facebook page.)
Streetcolor, who declined to reveal her name, said she "lives in the El Cerrito neighborhood."
"I intensely love the Cerrito Theater and their hamburgers and I wanted to make a yarnbombed street room in front of the theater," she said in an email to Patch. "(I have often waited in line hungrily in front of the theater and wanted something to look at)."
"I have been knitting it up for about 3 months," she said. "I have yarnbombed all over Berkeley and Oakland and have a large installation up at The Oakland Museum right now but this is the first time I have gotten to yarnbomb El Cerrito."
Photos of her yarn-bombed BART seats were published by Patch in June. Her blog also has many photos of her work.
"Yarnbombing is a very kind form of graffiti, and like all streetart is free and there to make our streets ours," she said.
Reader Karen Stout asked in a comment on the El Cerrito Patch Facebook page, "Why yarn bomber? Why do we do this? It is prettier but makes no sense."
Asked if she would like to respond, Streetcolor replied, "The why yarnbomb – it makes no sense. I often feel that way too. But street art and yarnbombing is about putting art in unexpected places; it's art for free and for pleasure instead of art for prestige and stature. It does make the street prettier too."
The photos of Streetcolor in action came about as Patch contributor Betty Buginas was driving home in heavy holiday traffic at about 4:30 p.m. Monday when she spotted the yarn bomber at work in front of the theater. Bumper-to-bumper traffic and lack of parking prevented her from pulling over, but she slipped her camera from her pocket and handed it to her adult daughter, Kristen Buginas, who was in the passenger seat and quickly captured two frames, which are being republished with this article.
Streetcolor acknowledged that it wasn't a stealth operation. "People waved and yelled, 'Thank you," as they drove by," she said.
Larry Craighill
8:00 am on Saturday, December 24, 2011
I confess to some mixed feelings because the art is chosen by the artist not the viewer, but it's genuine. This is what art should be. I've never cared for excessive graffiti, and yet I'm fascinated by art that expresses something personal and authentic. I think public art that is not commissioned runs the risk of serving the needs of an artist that merely has exhibitionist tendencies, but I think commissioned art runs the risk of expressing motives that have little or nothing to do with art. I find the yarn bombing movement intriguing and wonderful, and like many beautiful things in this world, it is transient.
Tanya Grove
3:05 pm on Saturday, December 24, 2011
I think I understand what you mean, Larry, about the viewer not getting to choose the art, but one of the reasons I love yarn bombs is their whimsy, surprise, and the fact that they pop up n in unlikely places. Any time art is commissioned, it gets political, and it never pleases everyone. So I applaud yarn bombers! And Streetcolor is great! I love her installation at the Oakland Museum. It makes me smile.
Jeff Lichtman
7:11 pm on Saturday, December 24, 2011
Yarnbombing is different from graffiti in a few important ways. First, yarnbombing isn't destructive - unlike paint, yarn can be easily removed without hurting anything. Second, the intent of yarnbombing is to honor the place where it's installed, while the intent of graffiti is often to claim territory or simply to leave one's mark. Finally, a lot of graffiti isn't artistic at all, unless you consider someone's initials or a gang sign to be art.
I'm really happy to see the yarn in front of the Cerrito Theater. Does anyone actually object to it?
Larry Craighill
7:21 pm on Saturday, December 24, 2011
I actually love a lot of graffiti, and yarn bombing only differs in that is can be easily removed. Much of the graffiti I've seen is not territorial, and is very well done. Tagging is not what I'm talking about. Graffiti is a kind of guerrilla art that does "impose" itself on the public, as does yarn bombing. I prefer yarn bombing, and see artistic merit in both, but some may prefer graffiti. I'm challenging notions of what is presumed to be acceptable and what is not. Art is a very personal thing.
Toni Mayer
8:28 pm on Saturday, December 24, 2011
I love these! They're beautiful and random. I enjoy coming across them in unexpected places. I haven't yet seen the ones in front of the Cerrito but look forward to seeing them. Thanks to Streetcolor for the gift.
Liz Ozselcuk
6:21 am on Sunday, December 25, 2011
I love yarn bombing because during the times of year I am working full time I tend to set aside my own creative pursuits until I "have more time." Walking past a yarn bombed object on the street always makes me smile and reminds me that my time for creativity will come again and my appreciation for creativity is always there. As far as graffiti, I would rather see an artfully graffiti-encrusted wall in an industrial area than blank gray paint any time.
Dorothy Coakley
7:22 pm on Monday, December 26, 2011
Like Toni, I love coming upon an unexpected yarnbombing. Streetcolor's art is a gift to the city...how about a MacArthur prize? (Genius is as genius does...)