Teleknitting, the brainchild of Moscow artist [vtol], is an interesting project. On one hand, it doesn’t knit anything that is useful in a traditional sense, but on the other, it attempts the complex task of deconstructing broadcasted media into a simpler form of information transmission.
Teleknitting’s three main components are the processing and display block — made up of the antenna, Android tablet, and speaker — the dyeing machine with its ink, sponges, actuators, and Arduino Uno, and the rotating platform for the sacrificial object. A program running on the tablet analyzes the received signal and — as displayed on its screen — gradually halves the number of pixels in the image until there is only one left with a basic representation of the picture’s colour. From there, thread passes over five sponges which dye it the appropriate colour, with an armature that responds to the broadcast’s volume directing where the thread will bind the object.
Functionally, Teleknitting receives TV signals and converts them into a one-dimensional thread that slowly ensnares a chosen object. [vtol]’s aim is to reinterpret the data we have beaming all around us into a different medium entirely — a different kind of data stream, if you will. Teleknitting is perhaps a compelling suggestion that we are — literally — far too wrapped up in the media that surrounds us 24/7 and that sometimes we need to slow down or reduce the amount of data we take in that isn’t useful.
If you’re looking for some more practical knitting hacks, we’ve featured a few knitting projects on Hackaday before — such as this open-source knitting machine, or how to interface with one in order to have it make pixel art.
Interesting, Yes, Art, ??
He could have chosen musical notes on a pentatonic scale so the sound is not so – well annoying.
Also the the colors aren’t subtractive primaries. (yellow cyan magenta).
So for me it seems to lack aspects of color and lack aspects of musical notes but hey it has servo’s and an Arduino right?
But I am sure others will appreciate it more than me as I am not a great appreciator of Art, as if that wasn’t obvious.
I mean, I “get it” insofar as much as one can “get” modern art, but you’re right.
There’s too much to pick apart about it and not enough to enjoy. By these criteria, I’d say it’s a success
While grim looking women with asymmetrical haircuts throw ice cream at you that is grabbed from big golden buckets that are suspended from the ceiling by strong ropes made of human hair, which made you think pretentious thoughts about the human condition? That kind of art?
This made me smile… AAAAARRRRRRTTTT! Yeah.
Sometimes I wonder what the hell I’m doing with my life. It’s obvious that Vtol haven’t wondered that. Because that was some 2 minutes 29 seconds I’m never getting back. Huge regret.
I don’t think we’re really the right audience for contemporary art.