The Asheville Reef

Though we are pretty far from the ocean, a reef is growing in Asheville!

We are an official satellite of the worldwide "Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef" project created by Margaret and Christine Wertheim of the Institute For Figuring in Los Angeles.

The project started in 2005 and has grown out of several intersecting threads - mathematics, marine biology, feminine handicraft, collective art practice, and environmental concerns regarding the plight of living reefs. Here is a portion of the local coral reef:

Over the last month or so, I crocheted four items to add to the reef. Here they are, photographed in two different settings at my home:

You might recognize some of my pieces in the larger display at The Center for Craft, Creativity and Design, where our local reef is currently residing.

When I delivered my pieces of coral, there were a group of women actively involved in making their own coral creations. Now that is a good example of how the project is fostering "collective art practice!"

There were a lot of items that were far more creative than my contributions, so I couldn't resist sharing a few more pictures:

Even though crochet is far from my favorite fiber medium, I enjoyed being part of this project and I look forward to attending the reception in September when the Wertheim sisters will come to UNC Asheville to speak about the project.