Yan Yee Poon

3rd Year, Community Art Education major, Psychology minor

Hanging By A Thread

Crocheted yarn and macrame knots with recycled/discarded items
approximately 51″ x 33″
2014

Hanging by a thread is an installation depicting a multitude of suspended red circles that are intertwined together through a chaotic cluster of red yarn; the work is a metaphor for the intricate and endless connections that we share with each other as part of the greater community.

Inspired by the Chinese proverb that “an invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstances,” the artwork brought together discarded items that people no longer wanted and transformed them into Chinese macrame knots to reflect the diverse meanings of the red thread in the Chinese culture. A single meticulously crocheted red yarn weaves in and out of the red hoops, bringing together the different stories and experiences embodied by the personal items. This infinite line symbolizes the countless invisible bonds that we share with one another. Each connection is distinct, illustrated through the intentional varied tensions in using different sizes of crochet hook. The personal becomes the public; the individual becomes a collective.

The installation is a continuous work-in-progress, inviting people to donate their discarded red items and see them transformed and joined in to an endlessly growing network of connections among individuals of dissimilar cultures, languages, and beliefs. Hanging by a thread was part of the Community Art Education collective exhibit UNFOLD at Pointe-St-Charles Art School.