Aug 22, 2013

WEAVING
In and Out


Who loves a chain link fence? Not me.  I know they have a purpose, but I have never seen one to love until today.

Based on a project, Katherine Daniels, did on Randall's Island two years ago, I had an idea that the new chain link fence enclosing the playground on Randall's Island, could be improved by adding a design using fence weave, a construction material.
Lola Odessey Waters and Sheila Odessey working on the fence.
I starting thinking about who would be the perfect person to come up with a concept for the fence design using plastic.  I thought of my sister.  Sheila, has been weaving for 30 years and currently has a business creating handbags by weaving strips made from ordinary plastic bags of every imaginable color.  She was the logical choice to visualize a design  for the fence and execute it with a group of volunteers.
As a family, we baked cakes, painted still lifes and traveled extensively in the United States, but we never "built" anything together.  My father was Mr. Fix-It.  He saw no need for assistance.  On Saturday, my sister, Sheila, my niece Lola, and volunteers from Google wove a fence design conceived by Sheila for Randall's Island Park playground.

It was a transformative moment.  A pedestrian fence became an playful artifice.  The colors of the weave  are a counterpoint to the colors of the play equipment.  I am imagining all the chain link fences on Randall's Island woven with plastic strips. It's a worthy ambition.

TO SEE SHEILA'S WORK GO TO:
www.sheilaodessey.com


9 comments:

  1. Phyllis, I am so enjoying your posts!

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  2. This is such a creative, colorful solution! Kudos.
    And don't stop at Randall's Island -- you must get the commission for every, ugly chain link fence in NY and then the world!
    What is the colorful ribbons made from? Did your duster make them?
    Fun look. How do the children like it? !

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  3. Can you tell me what the material is and where you purchase? I'm doing this with my students at a local park but want a strong material like this...

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  4. Phyllis, I am so enjoying your posts!

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  6. I can’t wait to do this on my gate!

    ReplyDelete