The Unbearable Absence of Landscapes is a statewide knitting project to unite communities and draw attention to our diminishing landscapes. In partnership with Oklahoma artist Romy Owens, the project was constructed by independent knitters, knitting circles, and outreach groups to create a single large “blanket” covering the facade of 108|Contemporary’s gallery. Inspired by our current screen-based culture and the sprawl of urbanization, the pixilated landscape represents the physical absence as well as our digital obsession and disconnect with nature. From a distance, the installation appears to be an abstracted image of a prairie landscape, in essence making the gallery a part of the skyline.
“I make portraits of endangered locations and I manufacture landscapes using mixed media. I do this to generate conversation about synthetic vs. authentic experiences.” – Romy Owens
Facts about the installation:
– If unraveled, the yarn would stretch over 160 miles
– Over 10,000 hours were spent knitting and seaming, and another 50 hours to install it on the building
– It covers more than 3,200 square feet of the facade
– Over 400 individuals contributed their time to knitting and seaming
#knitbomb108
This program was made possible by the support of our donors
