Artist Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam, a crochet artist, began selling large pieces of her work as crochet playgrounds. When she encourage children started playing on them, she took her work to a gallery to show off. She was amazed by the way children interacted with her work. Inspired by this, she decided to take her art to public spaces. These sculptures take a ton of yarn to complete, so she often orders by the ton.
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Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam
A crocheted playground is a great way to get kids outdoors and engaged with art. Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam, a Canadian artist, began her career making sculptures and started crocheting while living in wartime Tokyo. She and her family moved to Japanese-occupied Manchuria when she was three. This was where her love of art began.
In the 1970s, Toshiko Horiuchi MacAbam created her first crocheted play structures, called Harmonic Motion. Her crocheted structures are huge, stretching 60 feet long and weighing several thousand pounds. They are designed to be interactive, with kids exploring and interacting with them. The artists’ work is often found in parks around the world, and there are even some in the US.
Toshiko Horiuchi-MacAdam created a beautiful outdoor sculpture park near Tokyo called Hakone Open Air Museum. This installation was a collaborative effort with architects and landscape designers. The sculptures take three years to complete and feature over a million stitches! Each piece is different and is meant to stimulate children’s imaginations and creativity. She orders yarn by the ton.
Toshiko’s work is inspired by the play of children. Her interest in forms and organic shapes began to manifest in her early work. She began putting together exhibits of crochet pieces in museums and realized that she was passionate about art when she saw a group of children playing in one of her crochet playgrounds. As her career progressed, she began to work with modular components and developed her own modular systems.
Her work can be described as fibre art, a term that gained mainstream acceptance in the 1970s. Some of her early pieces were included in books devoted to the field of fibre art. ‘The Art Fabric Mainstream’ by Mildred Constantine and Jack Lenor Larsen describes her work as ‘an early example of a modern art form.’ These early pieces established the artist’s affinity for large interactive textile environments.
Toshiko Horiuchi Mac-Adam is a Japanese fiber artist based in Bridgetown, Nova Scotia. Her most iconic works are large-scale textile structures called “textile playgrounds.” She is well-known for her vibrant, net-like structures. In Japan, she knitted the “Woods of Net” Pavilion at the Hakone Open Air Museum.
Ernesto Neto
Inspired by his grandmother’s love of crochet, Neto creates massive installations in the form of wombs, labyrinths, and other play space that invite the viewer to play on them. The crocheted playgrounds transform the gallery space into a playful, interactive space, where viewers can jump, run, and explore the structures. Visitors can become part of the playground through interactive games and installations, and they can also engage in playful interactions with each other and with the work itself.
Born in 1964, Ernesto Neto works in sculpture and multimedia installations that engage the viewer in a different kind of experience. His pieces are usually made of non-traditional materials and techniques, and he is best known for his immersive environments that incorporate the audience into their world. His work has also been featured in a variety of public spaces, including museums such as the Guggenheim in Bilbao and the Tate Modern in London.
A visit to Ernesto Neto’s SunForceOceanLife installation will let visitors experience the cyclical relationship between the sea and the Sun. The installation’s warm hues and soft plastic balls will be woven together to form a spiral. To get there, visitors must find the balance between gravity and tension. They can then explore the installation while suspended 12 feet above the ground. This immersive experience is one of the highlights of the MFAH’s summer immersive art series.
The spaceships of Ernesto Neto’s work are playful and welcoming, and not intended to be intellectually demanding. The pieces are for everyone, and they are often made in the form of a spaceship, organ, membrane, or body turned inside out. Guests can climb and explore, and they can take a peek inside one of the creatures. Moreover, their feet will get a workout while they explore Neto’s work, as there are many holes and creases in each space.
This exhibition marks the artist’s first solo show in New York since 2012. The exhibition includes new works on crochet, wall works, and installations that invite viewers to immerse themselves in the tactile, visual, and smell of each object. The work also serves as a platform for dialogue between humans and other cultures. It is a unique opportunity to explore a world that’s been colonized by humans for thousands of years.
Woozone
A Woozone crochet playground is a wonderful way to get children outside and improve play environments! This play structure is made up of a sturdy, colorful platform and hollow stems that are safe for young children to climb and explore. In addition to providing fun and safe play for young children, the Woozone crochet playground is also fun for adults, who can use their creativity to create adorable home decor or even gifts. A Woozone crochet playground is sure to be a hit at any get-together!
The artistic process behind Woozone’s playful crochet structures is truly remarkable. Artist Toshiko Horiuchi-MacAdam first began by making and selling large-scale crochet playgrounds. After her pieces began to sell in galleries, she began to see children playing on them. This was the perfect opportunity to move her art into the public realm and create a playscape that was fun and exciting for all ages! In addition to using colorful yarn, Toshiko also orders her materials in large quantities.
Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam’s creations take the traditional playground to a new level. This Japanese crochet artist weaves colorful fabrics together to create whimsical patterns. Toshiko explains, “My kids were always playing with them, so I wanted to make something that would be fun for them too!”
As a parent, it’s a great way to encourage your children to enjoy the art of crochet, regardless of where they live! The playground features a ball pool, slide, trampoline, rainbow bridge, and many other fun things for kids to play with! There is nothing better than spending an afternoon with your children, or even your own kids! The Woozone crochet playground is a wonderful way to get your kids to learn a new skill while having fun.
Enness
An Enness’ crochet playground is like no other. Inspired by the work of Antonio Gaudi, the artist creates a colourful playscape that’s both playful and safe. Made from thick ropes, each colourful structure is unique, yet maintains structural strength even when stretched, creating a playful environment for children. A crochet structure mimics the womb’s motion and has responsive surfaces that encourage social interaction. Whether your child wants to play with their friends or make new friends, an Enness playground is sure to be the perfect place for them to play.
Toshiko Horiuchi-MacAdam began her career as a designer and sold large-scale crochet playground pieces, but she soon became interested in incorporating the work into public space. Initially, she had exhibited her pieces in galleries, but when kids began playing on them, she was thrilled. Inspired by this, she decided to take her art out of the gallery and into the public space. She now orders her yarn by the ton.
The artist then uses an online platform to sell yarn, and then assembles massive structures by hand. The team assembles large sections of the playground, then joins them together during installation. To test the design, the team combines the large pieces together. The finished play area features colorful nets, swings, cushions, pockets, and more. As children play, they can create their own art and express their imaginations in a unique way.