Yarn bombing in Lake Worth Beach
Wielding crochet needles, artist Milena Arango created the public installation “Soul Talks with Palms”
A riot of joy has taken residence on a busy street in downtown Lake Worth Beach.
It’s a yarn bomb.
What’s happening: Artist Milena Arango created the public installation “Soul Talks with Palms,” this month on the former Havana Hideout property at 509 Lake Ave.
Stet talked to Arango about her work for the Lake Worth Beach CRA and LULA Lake Worth Arts.
Q. What inspired your yarn bomb?
This is a project that was mainly thought of for kids. I learned to knit when I was very young, and it's something that I would love to share with the little ones.
Knitting/crocheting has so many therapeutic benefits that I think it's important to share these tools and, I hope, someday they’ll use them. I want to create a sacred place, a place where people would stop, sit down and observe. A place for all kinds of people no matter their religion, race or gender. A place for everybody to enjoy.
This installation was also inspired by the Wayuu indigenous culture of Colombia, people who have preserved their ancestral traditions and crafts for centuries. I have always wanted to learn how to knit like them and have always been fascinated by their colors and patterns.
Knitting is a way of connecting with my roots and expressing my identity.
Q. Have you done yarn bombs before?
Yes, in March of this year, I worked on a beautiful project for the DDA of West Palm Beach called The Trojan Rocking Horse. This was by artist-architect Marco Casagrande from Finland. He designed the project, and I was commissioned to dress the horses.
At that moment I wasn’t so familiar with the term yarn bombing, I’d seen some trees in San Francisco, California, but I didn’t know much about the movement.
I started following some yarn bombers, and they've started following me back, and you start creating a conversation through your art.
I’m so happy I discovered this because now my nonstop crocheting has a meaning and a purpose. It's great to see how your art can transform and bring spaces alive.
Q. How long do you expect the installation to be in public view?
I’m not sure how long it will last, these installations don't last too long. The animals, the weather and people tend to touch it.
But I have to say, I go and check on it every two to three days, and I’m surprised at how well it’s holding up. I plan to keep it as long as the city allows me.
Making it was magical, I felt like I was creating an Avatar World, listening to the birds and watching the lizards walk all over the yarn. Bringing virtual reality to life. Creating spaces to inspire and getting inspired just by being there.
Q. What attracts you to the yarn bomb medium?
Discovering this movement has been awesome, it’s opened a whole new universe for me. I can't describe how much I enjoy knitting, talking through a string or simply making knots. How far can your imagination go with one string?
It’s just you, a hook needle and a piece of yarn, what can you say?
Yarn bombing is exciting, it’s a beautiful experience and it's something relatively new but at the same time, knitting/crocheting has so much history.
My grandmother would be proud. It’s knitting at a different scale.
Q. What other mediums do you prefer to work in?
I’ve always been interested in discovering different mediums to express myself. I paint, I also love photography and knitting has been with me since I was very young.
I’ve painted most of my life, but for the last years, I’ve experienced different techniques. I’ve taken art residencies around the world that have opened different paths for me.
My last and most important project is called VTG - Vestigium Tectona Grandis, it’s an umbilical cord made of natural pigments.
With that project I traveled a lot so my main medium was photography for that work.
Each project has its own voice, tone and color. It all depends how loud you want to shout it out.
Want to see more? Check out yard bombing’s colorful, cozy history, here.
You’re reading a story from local news startup Stet Media Group. Support our original journalism with a free or paid subscription.