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‘Yarn bombing’ reappears in Washington
Kalen McCain
Feb. 22, 2023 11:09 am
WASHINGTON — A secretive group called the Yarn Engineers of Washington (YEOW) has once again “yarn bombed” Washington’s square area. The practice refers to a type of graffiti-adjacent fiber art display, which this year has largely taken the form of tree sweaters.
Carol Ray, who has knowledge of the group’s operations, said the displays were something of a movement, like graffiti with less legal and political baggage.
“It’s the idea that you show up and you make your mark somewhere, and then you disappear,” she said. “You don’t really advertise who is who, and you cover your face sometimes, so nobody knows who it is. But the good thing about yarn bombing is that it’s not permanent, it gets removed.”
The tactic is used by other organizations across the world. In 2016, a group coordinated an effort with Iowa State University to yarn bomb a building on Ames Main Street. In 2013, the move was declared “knitting graffiti” after a group yarn bombed a tank displayed outside a war museum in Germany. One street artist known as “Olek” has garnered a reputation for yarn bombing the famous sculptures in New York City.
This is not the first time YEOW has orchestrated such efforts in Washington. In previous years, members have decorated benches, put out free scarves for those in need, and decorated trees with owls, spaceships and snakes made of yarn.
Those who participate find the experience fulfilling and fun, according to Ray.
“A lot of the work that they have done has stayed up for many months, which is a long time for a work of art,” she said. “It’s a way of making art that is available to a whole lot of people for free. It changes the landscape, it makes people look twice … it’s a way of redirecting people’s eyes to see the world in a slightly different way, which is what a lot of art is all about.”
While the group’s members strive for discretion, they’ve been known to coordinate with the Washington Public Library, where prospective members can leave their names if they want to get involved.
Librarian LeAnn Kunz said she was familiar with YEOW as well, and that this year’s theme of tree sweaters was a practical decision.
“In this case, the YEOW group knew it was going to be very cold, and installing stuff takes a long time sometimes, so they wanted something fast but very colorful to put up,” she said. “This is easy because you can wrap something around the tree and tie it on, you don’t have to sew it onto the tree.”
Asked about why YEOW members carry on the tradition every year, Kunz speculated that it was a natural habit of artists.
“When people love their own artwork, they’ll do about anything to express themselves,” she said. “It’s also a good way to use up extra yarn, because so many people who knit clothing, if they do sweaters, they always have an extra ball of yarn left over.”
Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com