Enter the crocheted cave of Melissa Maddonni Haims at her booth at PULSE Contemporary Art Fair. Black thread on black fabric beckons darkened entry, crying statements of loss in many-tongued voices. Stones crumble from the walls in ropes of yarn. Fabric bullets pelt their way across the installation, softly tolling the knell of gun deaths since 2015 began. Departure is through a field of quilted profanity, leading viewers onto the next installation in a burst of ‘colorful color.’
Artist Statement:
“I make multiples; many small things that add up to make one giant thing. I make the parts that create the sum of the whole. I create soft sculpture using traditional handwork methods, such as knitting and crochet. These techniques are solitary and repetitive; the act of creating stitch after stitch to build a piece can take years. It’s in the process of the creation that I revel; the cyclical and rhythmic act of handwork that I thrive.”
Melissa Maddonni Haims is a fiber artist based in Philadelphia. She creates soft sculpture, large-scale installations and graffiti with yarn. Her career in the arts began in New York City in the mid 1990’s, and life led her back home to Philadelphia in 2004, where she lives with her husband and young daughter. Her award winning work has been shown in galleries, museums and contemporary art fairs throughout the United States. She has been yarn bombing internationally since 2010.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, PULSE Contemporary Art Fair returns for its New York edition from March 5 – 8, 2015 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea. PULSE New York will present a tightly-curated selection of exhibitors showing work by more than 100 international artists, over 80% of exhibitors at the fair will present three artists or less, and a third will showcase two artists in conversation. As one of the longest-running contemporary art fairs in New York, PULSE offers visitors a welcoming environment in which to explore and discover the most compelling contemporary art produced today.
