Units of Possibility: The Reknit Revolution

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Twigger Holroyd, A. ORCID: 0000-0003-3403-3516, 2017. Units of Possibility: The Reknit Revolution. Rugby Art Gallery & Museum, Rugby, 24 June - 2 September 2017.

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Item Type:	Exhibition
Creators:	Twigger Holroyd, A.
Date:	June 2017
Abstract:	Reknit Revolution is a project by designer, maker and researcher Amy Twigger Holroyd. https://reknitrevolution.org/about/ provides resources to support reknitting: the reworking of existing knitted items using knit-based skills, techniques and knowledge. Amy developed a comprehensive range of treatments that could be used to rework an existing item of knitwear during her doctoral research. These processes might be used to address problems such as holes or stains, issues of fit, or to restyle tired designs. Each treatment is highly flexible in terms of scale, aesthetic and finish. The treatments are showcased in the Reknit Spectrum, a large-scale installation which forms a key part of Amy’s solo exhibition Units of Possibility: The Reknit Revolution at Rugby Art Gallery & Museum. The exhibition opens from 24 June to 2 September 2017, and will then tour to the Knitting & Stitching Show in London and Harrogate in Autumn 2017. To coincide with the exhibition, instructions for three key techniques – replace cuff, stitch-hack and cardiganise – are available on this site. They include step-by-step animations, examples of existing projects, instructional videos, guidance on design and top tips.
Description:	In her first major solo exhibition Amy Twigger Holroyd aims to share and promote techniques for reknitting: using knitting skills and knowledge to repair and rework existing items of knitwear. Ultimately, she aims to encourage knitters to see the pieces in their wardrobes as ripe for reinvention. New work includes a large-scale diagram showcasing a comprehensive range of 'treatments' that could be used to transform an existing item of knitwear. These processes draw on instructions and examples from the past but also inventively respond to the mass-produced items in our wardrobes today. Each treatment is highly flexible in terms of scale, aesthetic and finish. A film, created in collaboration with filmmaker Jonathan Hamilton, communicates the intricacies of the reknitting process and the tacit knowledge involved. A series of works created by local knitters provide evidence of the accessibility and versatility of the techniques, while instructional materials support knitters inspired to have a go themselves. The exhibition also sees the unveiling of Cathedral Cardigans, a series of five reknitted cast-offs that interpret the construction details of gothic cathedrals in diverse ways. For Twigger Holroyd, these architectural icons share ornamental flourishes with traditional crochet and knitting. The buildings also offer great inspiration in terms of remaking, with physical breakdown and the whims of fashion having created patchworks of repair, rebuilding and extension. In conceptual terms, Twigger Holroyd aims to explore 'radical openness' in the fashion system by tinkering with the things that surround her, and encouraging others to do the same. This spirit is perhaps most evident in her 'stitch-hacking' process, in which the stitches of a knitted fabric are reconfigured to retrospectively insert a new structural design. Twigger Holroyd’s reknitting work was originally developed during her PhD at Birmingham Institute of Art & Design, completed in 2013.
Rights:	Photographs by Jamie Grey at Rugby Art Gallery & Museum
Official URL:	https://reknitrevolution.org/
Event Location:	Rugby Art Gallery & Museum, Rugby
Event Dates:	24 June - 2 September 2017
Divisions:	Schools > School of Art and Design
Record created by:	Linda Sullivan
Date Added:	17 Jul 2017 10:35
Last Modified:	07 Jun 2019 08:36
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/31261
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