gas station cosy, or, the protest blanket

[DesertCrocheter]

I'm sorry I stirred up a hornet's nest posting this link. I found it interesting that she chose to use fiber arts as the form of her protest. My sister went to art school, so I have met, through her, a number of artists and have always admired how their creative and thought processes are so different from my own scientifically-trained thought processes. I suppose I don't view this as a waste of yarn but an interesting example of personal choice and artistic freedom. I suspect the teachers saw it as an opportunity to teach children that voicing their opinions can take many forms, not just the traditional protest march.

 

Since the article is about the message and not the 'cosy' itself, I'm not surprised there's no information on what will happen after she disassembles the blanket.

 

I thought people would be interested in seeing crochet being used for a purpose as far removed as one can get from "your grandmother's crochet." I find this a far more interesting use of the craft than those air freshener commercials of several years ago that stirred so much ire on here.

 

Patty

[DesertCrocheter]

I used the term cosy because many people make cosies to cover things. Useful things like dishwashing liquid or things like extra toilet paper rolls they want to disguise (for whatever reason). Covered things are therefore taken out of view. Out of sight often means out of mind. The many issues created by our dependency on oil (a very complicated situation) for so many generations have often been out of sight, out of mind for many of us, I think. I interpreted the blanket covering the gas station as a metaphor for many people closing their eyes to this problem.

 

I'm not trying to prolong the argument or pick on anyone, just thought I'd offer my interpretation. Patty

 

I didnt here of it until I seen this, I also dont understand how covering a abandoned gas stration with a huge balnket draws attention to our oil situation.To me it makes no sense.

 

[yarntotingmama]

I admit, I'm far more practically minded than artistic

[DesertCrocheter]

I admit, I'm far more practically minded than artistic

 

And I think way too much (and no one is in my office and I'm bored and goofing off instead of writing a very boring treatment plan!) LOL

 

Patty

[quietheart]

I hope people who are going to be cold this coming winter because of the cost of heating/electric get these blankets. The blankets are the art, not how they are displayed, but I get that, I do hope they do something good now with all those blankets that fits their cause.

 

Hugs

Kath

[RoseRed]

She did the panels in 3 foot squares. She could've at least done 3x4 so that they could be donated as lapghans to nursing homes or military hospitals or something - anything to make it not such a waste.

 

Does anyone remember the movie Armegeddon? Bruce Willis is hitting golf balls at the Greenpeace ship and asking them 'how much fuel does that old boat use?'. Same principle here - they're using a petroleum product to complain about petroleum:think

[proudmama762003]

Please, everyone, let's not do this. Why would we want to call this person's attention to a discussion by a group of people who don't understand her purpose? Of what possible benefit would that be to her? I certainly don't want an argument to take place here.

 

I didnt email her - nor did i think anyone else would - i meant it as a joke - i am sorry!

[MaryPat]

I rather like it. It reminds me of something in "Like Water for Chocolate" where the herine crocheted a one piece afghan until her depression lifted. Her afghan was about a mile long.

 

I can't give an explanation but sometimes I think we do odd things that make no sense to kind of express our inability to do something concrete.

[Craw]

I think the gas station looked much better before it was covered in yarn! It looked like a shot of the town of Mayberry or something. My practical side says all that yarn and time could have gone to a much better cause. Afghans, lapghans, sweaters, scarfs, etc. for people who can't afford the rising costs of heating oil comes to mind.

[DesertCrocheter]

 

I can't give an explanation but sometimes I think we do odd things that make no sense to kind of express our inability to do something concrete.

 

Well said, MaryPat!

[eurolyons]

I rather like it. It reminds me of something in "Like Water for Chocolate" where the herine crocheted a one piece afghan until her depression lifted. Her afghan was about a mile long.

I can't give an explanation but sometimes I think we do odd things that make no sense to kind of express our inability to do something concrete.

 

I totally agree...

 

You know every time I say or I read or hear someone say, "All that (fill in the blank) could have been put to better use for (whatever charity)" I think of the song from Jesus Christ Superstar where Judeas was admonishing Jesus and Mary about "wasting the oil that could have been better spent raising money for the poor..." and Jesus response about how "there will be poor always..." (and the real point was that Mary was still doing a charitable thing by caring for Jesus...)

 

I would rather see a silly look "gas station cozy" than the alternative of someone torching the place or worse, taking their frustrations out on a gas station that's still open and in business by torching it...

 

And I totally agree with the last sentence in Mary Pat's post...we can't really do a heck of a lot about the insane gas prices (or even too much about abandoned properties per se) but sometimes the desire to something, anything, even if it doesn't make sense to anyone else can be hard to ignore...

[yarntotingmama]

I totally agree...

 

You know every time I say or I read or hear someone say, "All that (fill in the blank) could have been put to better use for (whatever charity)" I think of the song from Jesus Christ Superstar where Judeas was admonishing Jesus and Mary about "wasting the oil that could have been better spent raising money for the poor..." and Jesus response about how "there will be poor always..." (and the real point was that Mary was still doing a charitable thing by caring for Jesus...)

[..]

And I totally agree with the last sentence in Mary Pat's post...we can't really do a heck of a lot about the insane gas prices (or even too much about abandoned properties per se) but sometimes the desire to something, anything, even if it doesn't make sense to anyone else can be hard to ignore...

 

To explain why that is entirely not an analogous situation is beyond the limitations of this forum so I will just say that I understand you are trying to say simply that one charitable act may differ greatly from another and I agree with that much.

 

I would however say there are things we accomplish if enough people got together for the cause (like a familiar cartoon/ad/whatever-it-was where a million different people are thinking "But what can one person do?") and you know what, obviously this thing has in fact created discussion one way or another so who knows, maybe it will in deed accomplish something productive as intended.

 

... as for how it looks, if you can get past how much the yarn must have cost and that it's sitting out in the weather .. it might look better. I think some of us can't see the art for the yarn. ... me included.

[eurolyons]

and I'm sorry, but what's your point? I didn't necessarily say what they were doing was charitable...but like Mary Pat said and I wholeheartedly agreed with her was that sometimes people feel they have to do something, even if it's silly and maybe even pointless to others...

[yarntotingmama]

It is as I said,

 

and I agree with that much.

[zeropixie]

I used the term cosy because many people make cosies to cover things. I interpreted the blanket covering the gas station as a metaphor for many people closing their eyes to this problem.

 

My thought exactly. Covering the gas station is a way of showing how OPEC and other big wigs are trying to ignore the elephant in the room .

Please don't email her being artists ourselves we know how it feels when people don't fully understand why we do what we do. Besides it is doing exactly what she wanted, we are talking about it.

[cdschlea]

If the gas prices don't resolve, I may as well crochet a cosy for my car since I won't be able to drive it and since I can't go anywhere, I'll have to crochet to keep my fingers busy!

 

Colleen

[yarntotingmama]

If the gas prices don't resolve, I may as well crochet a cosy for my car since I won't be able to drive it and since I can't go anywhere, I'll have to crochet to keep my fingers busy!

 

Colleen

 

 

 

Now if enough people in the country did that (or at least, stopped driving - but it's just no fun without the cozy) I'm persuaded a gas price drop would soon follow! Of course, that might make for a whole lot of bicycle riding

[Cherokee2]

That article was in my local paper, too. I thought it was interesting, if a bit odd. I'm sure that the blanket won't stay forever, and might be put to a better use in the near future. Sometimes people do strange things for even stranger reasons.

I'm protesting the gas prices by not driving my Jeep any more than I have to. I've cut down on my trips and try to do all my shopping and errands in one trip. Kind of hard to do since I travel in the opposite direction for shopping than to the post office and local grocery store.... but at least I'm not going somewhere every day!!

[yarntotingmama]

Speaking of car cozies, I just saw this one over at the Lion Brand blog:

http://blog.lionbrand.com/2008/05/23/amazing-art-with-fun-fur/

[kel]

I can't decide if I get it or not. I understand expression thru art, but this one evades me.

Would have been better to hang those blankets INSIDE the abandoned gas station and auction them off for charity. Or gas money. lol