Hasta La Ideas

Artist Andrew Salomone, along with his hacked 80s knitting machine, is currently resident at London’s KK Outlet gallery in Hoxton Square, creating alternative Christmas jumpers featuring designs by the likes of Anthony Burrill, Geneviève Gauckler and Siggi Eggertsson…

Yes, using a “hacked” industrial 80s knitting machine, Salomone is able to “print” pixel-based designs (Anthony Burrill’s design as submitted, shown above) as knitted fabric. For the month of December KK Outlet has invited him to bring his machine into their gallery space and have invited a host of image makers to submit alternative Christmas jumper designs for Salomone to transform into seasonal knitwear.

Of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen pixel-based designs transformed into knitwear at this time of year. Regular CR readers might recall Moving Brands‘ Weare Scarf project from 2008 (which featured in the Best in Book section of our 2009 Annual) where the agency set up a screen made of a grid of fairy lights in one of its windows. It then invited people to send messages and pixel drawings via a web interface. Everything sent to the window was stored in an online gallery and the full sequences of images used to create the design for a knitted scarf which was manufactured as the agency’s seasonal gift to clients and friends.

This project is a little different, in that it’s all possible thanks to Salomone’s personally hacked knitting machine (hence the show being titled O Come All Ye Hackers) and the contributions of some rather talented illustrators. Here are some of the knitted artworks created at the show so far:

by Anthony Burrill

by Niek Eijsbouts

by Geneviève Gauckler

by Siggi Eggertsson

And this red and white number is titled “The Equation of a Koch Snowflake”

The knitting machine itself is a bizarre looking contraption:

To see it in action, check out this interview with Salomone operating it:

O Come All Ye Hackers runs until December 22 at  KK Outlet, 42 Hoxton Square, London, N1 6PB – where all the one-off jumpers are on sale for £150 a pop.

kkoutlet.com

CR in Print

If you enjoy reading the Creative Review website, we think you’ll enjoy reading the magazine even more. The December issue of CR includes a profile piece on the independent creative scene in Liverpool, a major interview with Dutch book designer Irma Boom and a great piece on ‘Poster King’ Edward McKnight Kauffer. You’ll also find articles on Dentsu London, a review of the Walker Art Center’s Graphic Design: Now in Production show and a fascinating debate on the clash between design and advertising betwen Wally Olins and CHI’s Dan Beckett.

And if that wasn’t enough, the issue also includes a FREE paper toy for readers to cut out and customise.

If you would like to buy this issue and are based in the UK, you can search for your nearest stockist here. Based outside the UK? Simply call +44(0)207 292 3703 to find your nearest stockist. Better yet, subscribe to CR for a year here and save yourself almost 30% on the printed magazine.