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Ingjerd Monsen Hjelmeland
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Knitting, isn't that something people have been doing since the days when Eve spun and Adam plowed? No, the art of knitting
is not as old as one may think. The craft was developed in the Middle East sometime around year 1000 and arrived in Norway about
five hundred years later. The first clothes were imported. But the
art of knitting spread and became a natural part of everyday life
in most households. It is this tradition Ingjerd Monsen Hjelmeland
passes on. In her work she employs a knitting machine and modern
technology. She passes on a tradition in the sense that she has
developed her own working method. It is time-consuming and complicated,
but nevertheless necessary to achieve the effects she wants.
Penelope, Ulysses' queen, spent the whole day weaving. In the
evening she undid the entire weft. Even if Ingjerd is knitting instead of weaving, she cannot resist undoing her work. Having
barely finished knitting a cloth and dyed it with the desired
colour, she unravels all the stitches. Then she has to rewind the knitted thread before knitting it once again. But unlike
Penelope who never finished her web, Ingjerd does finish her
projects. Not all of us have to follow the demand of the day: " the faster the better, the more the merrier". Why not spend time.
Spend the time it takes to make exactly what one wants. Spend the
time it takes to bring out the colours of the thread. Those ending
up as a living play of light in the finished clothing. Time-consume
adds to the quality. Because the one who spends time, offers beauty
and joy. In this respect the craftsman belongs to a larger
tradition. The surplus is yours to exchange in beauty and joy. |
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Fridtjov Urdal
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