The Arts AND Crafts!

On Thursday, Agatha and I walked over to the Women & Their Work Gallery on Lavaca. They were having an opening reception for Whitney Lee's exhibit, Power Craft. You may know of Lee's work if you've ever seen her spectacular latch-hook rug portraits of naked ladies. They are great, and you can buy the rugs, or kits to make your own, at various places around town like Parts & Labour. If you've never seen them,
CHECK. THEM. OUT: http://www.madewithsweetlove.com/ They rule! Agatha and I wondered if she takes commissions. Who wouldn't want a comfy bathmat with their own naked self on it?! I'm thinking this year's Christmas gifts...

The artist explained how she made the transition from the rugs to her current project, which she calls "crafitti." The rugs were an attempt to raise a common craft to the level of high art. This time, she went the opposite route, wondering how common craft themes would translate to a wider, very public audience. Traditionally they have been reserved for more domestic mediums like tea towels, needlepoint samplers, or <shudder> iron-on decals for those grandma sweatshirts with the collars sewn in. Barf!

If you've ever been to a craft or fabric store, you know the types of images she's talking about. Those geese in bonnets, teddy bears having tea parties, cats in sunglasses, etc. There's been a major trend in recent years to find new ways of doing traditional crafts with more modern, young, "hip" themes. One of the pioneers in this movement is Austinite Jenny Hart, of Sublime Stitching. She is one of my local heroes, and was at the opening that evening, along with a few of her fellow Austin Craft Mafia members. Very exciting for me, as I am kind of like the "crafterazzi" or something, always pointing out to my friends an ACM member or one of their designs when I see them.

So how did Ms. Lee attempt to get these cutesy images into the Austin public's line of vision? She painted a handful of adorable characters in standard poster sizes, and slapped 'em up all over town! You've probably seen them on electrical boxes around town in the last few weeks. Each picture had its own neighborhood, which she color-coded and features with an accompanying wall map in the exhibit. You can see a few of the posters in the photo above. How have the peeps around town been reacting to this bold and rebellious street art? Surely no one has gazed at the whimsical field mouse shrugging casually next to a giant mushroom and thought, "Darned kids, dirtying up the neighborhood with their filth!" Its more likely to have been the cause of several smiles at red lights, and friendlier driving! I love it. Its genius! Kudos to you, Whitney Lee!

If you've seen these posters around town, how did YOU react to them?

Power Craft runs through August 4th at Women & Their Work.