Craft: Contemporary Art

A trip to the New Museum (pictured above) was the inspiration behind this craft idea . I was impressed by Rosemarie Trockel's beautiful yet simple yarn paintings on canvas. My friend Kendra Smoot noted that something similar could make an excellent craft project for the kids. I agreed, so last week I gave it a try using black and white yarn. My co-worker said the vibration of the two colors give it an almost hypnotizing effect. I'll take that as a compliment.

A child's version may not be so neat, but when set on a white canvas, can still achieve that stark and modernist aesthetic. It would be just as brilliant if it turned out like that red yarn sculpture in the picture. Either way, this craft is a great way to get children thinking about design. I posted the directions on Elizabeth Street earlier this week. But really? It's as simple as glueing yarn onto canvas. Try it and see what happens!

photo credit: NY Times.