The Unknown Hipster

Repair kits

Posted in Design by unknownhipster on September 17, 2009
On board Governors Island ferry

On board Governors Island ferry

Last week in Manhattan, when the Art crowd jostled into a thousand openings in Chelsea, I sailed off to Governors Island for the inauguration of Pioneers of Change , a festival of Dutch Design, Architecture and Fashion. After a short crossing from the southern tip of Manhattan we landed on this strange island, with abandoned military and administrative buidings and ghost housing for the officers. The sky was grey, about to rain, and there was something a little sinister in the air, which suddenly made me fear of being taken into custody  and held in an endless quarantine.

Amazing knitting installation

Amazing knitting installation

Eleven identical former officers houses were the scene of installations and workshops by Platform 21. It was funny to think of the regulated life that had probably ruled those rooms where Christien Meindertsma’s giant knitted works now lay on the wooden floor.

More wool

More wool

Repairing was the main theme. In one of the houses’ kitchen, a calm blond woman was mending plates she had purposely broken by gluing slightly misplaced parts in an artful arrangement.

In another room, a young artist was selling repair kits for  damaged walls with yellow, red, and blue tapes to be applied in Mondrian patterns.

No pig food stains but ingenious repair

No pig food stains but ingenious repair

But best repairing kit was a wool filler for mending holes in textiles, by designer Heleen Klopper.

Upgrade for classic British look with elbow patches

Upgrade for classic British look with elbow patches

I immediately used it to fix the elbows of my old, worn-out jacket from the Sydney thrift shop.

And then I repaired a sweater I had brought with me.

My old jacquard revamped

My old jacquard revamped

Night was falling, and I returned on the ferry. In the hollow sky, and disappearing high into clouds and darkness, were the two sihouettes of the Twin Towers, drawn from memory by laser projectors.

twintowers_light

9 Responses

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  1. Jeltjie said, on September 17, 2009 at 5:03 pm

    Accidentally found your blog. It’s amazing and edgy and fantastic and I think I’m in love! Will be checking back ALL THE TIME. Completely awesome mental images you create with your descriptions and your pictures.

  2. lulu McC said, on September 18, 2009 at 9:55 am

    just LOVE your writing and illustration. i look forward to seeing your posts. thank you for being an inspiration.

  3. Christine said, on September 21, 2009 at 6:25 am

    GREAT blog. Please come to the art forum Berlin!

  4. Ben said, on September 22, 2009 at 1:44 am

    that last image is stunning.

  5. Nora said, on September 22, 2009 at 12:59 pm

    I was there for the grand opening too- it was fantastic. Did you try opening a door and wandering deeper into the houses, going up stairs? Creepy.

  6. editor said, on September 23, 2009 at 5:03 pm

    *sigh*
    repair indeed…

  7. STYLE SCANNER said, on September 30, 2009 at 7:57 pm

    You’re looking a bit “WhatisJamesWearing.com” in the first illustration!

    Superb.

  8. Jean Daniel J. said, on October 17, 2009 at 7:37 am

    How cool of you mentioning Heleen from my city: Amsterdam.

    Great post!

  9. CWeaverKing said, on November 16, 2010 at 12:42 am

    Oh, how fun! I felt like I was on your trip with you. I am jealous.;-)
    I love your drawings, they evoked the experience much better than – the usual – photos would have done. I stumbled upon this site after reading about Woolfiller and wondering if I want to try it on an old, but beautiful long camelhair/cashmere coat I have that is motheaten but I cannot bear to throw it out. I think I might do something a little different to it now involving felt and/or boiled wool and embroidery but at least it inspired me! I do love the product though.


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