"The use of crochet as fine art with this level detail and on this scale can boggle the mind for anyone who practices the craft. Crochet and portraiture are not usually synonymous. Crochet is a textile art and uses a hook to tie yarn into knots. It is most often used to create household goods such as blankets, stocking caps and clothes. It falls somewhere between knitting and tatting in its use. It is an artistic and creative craft that often ventures into functional art."
"The scale of her work is massive and engulfs the viewer. Each portrait is usually two or more times larger than the subject. Hamilton often uses multiple threads for each stitch to create subtle shifts of color which she uses to create muscle and feature definition. Using a mix of yarn weights and textures help her create a sculpted semblance of muscle and definition. This same technique creates planes and valleys on the face; cheekbones, eyelashes and lines emerge."
Jo Hamilton crocheted twelve-foot nude male portraits of her friend Shining Mountain for the Shine On series installed in the A.N. Bush Gallery at the Salem Art Association Art Center. She transforms crochet into large-scale figurative portraiture that reads as painted with yarn through meticulous color and texture manipulation. Hamilton uses multiple threads, varied yarn weights, and textures to sculpt muscle, facial planes, and features, creating subtle shifts of color and depth. Scale amplifies presence, often doubling the subject's size to engulf viewers. A naturalistic approach blends with impressionistic and expressionistic latitude, softening lines and enhancing emotional depth.
Read at Oregon ArtsWatch * Arts & Culture News
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