Crochet Coral Reef

Image: "Crochet Coral and Anemone Garden" with sea slug by Marianne Midelburg.
Photos by Alyssa Gorelick.

The Institute For Figuring (IFF)is crocheting a coral reef: a woolly celebration of the intersection of higher geometry and feminine handicraft. The Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia, is one of the great wonders of the natural world. With the threat of global warming and agricultural pollutants, scientists believe the reef will be dead in 30 years. The founders of the IFF, the Wertheim sisters - who grew up in Queensland - have instigated a project to crochet a woollen reef.

Check out previous TreeHugger stories on coral reefs here and here.

Image: Medusa nematocysta - Crochet, knitted and embroidered plastic bag creature by Helle Jorgensen.

Still in the concept stage is what Christine calls the crochet reef's "satanic twin," the "Rubbish Vortex," a huge hanging sculpture to be crocheted of yarn created entirely from plastic bags by Helle Jorgensen, a Danish-born biologist-turned-artist who lives in Sydney, Australia, and was discovered independently crocheting sea creatures from yarn made from reused plastic bags. Excerpt from here

The Rubbish vortex will be exhibited at Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE), in 2008. The Crochet Coral Reef is currently on exhibition at The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, PA, until June 17, 2007.

::IFF