Abigail Doan
New York, New York
Title
Crocheted Plant Ovary
Bio
I am an internationally exhibited mixed media, collage, and fiber artist
who grew up on a family-run sheep and dairy farm in New York State's Hudson
Valley. I currently live in NYC and on my farm in Siena, Italy where I
cultivate art projects, real-live plantings, and ideas about environmental
tinkering and sustainable practice. Ideas about using fiber in my art
work came from my mother who is a hand spinner, my time spent as an art
director for 3D digital media projects, and most recently while learning
rock climbing and belaying along undulating surfaces and challenging topographies.
Statement
The crochet pattern that I used for my knitPro piece is derived from a
cross-section of a plant ovary that I saw while visiting Harvard University's
Botanical Museum during the summer of 2005. I decided to share this pattern
with others as I was fascinated by the fact that plants not only have
sets of ovaries but perhaps replicate or disseminate data in a repeat
pattern/circular fashion. There is also a certain vulnerability and softness
in the ovary cross-section that seems worth exploring. I decided to play
with the 3D aspects of my piece as a way to invite the viewer into the
safety and warmth of an organic, though non-utilitarian object. I created
the piece over several evenings while relaxing at home with my husband
and my dog, a whippet named Finn.
