How yarn bombing grew into a worldwide movement | Magda Sayeg

譯者: lisa li 審譯者: Adrienne Lin

I'm a textile artist

我是紡織藝術家，

most widely known for starting the yarn bombing movement.

開創了針織塗鴉而廣為人知。

Yarn bombing is when you take knitted or crocheted material

針織塗鴉是把針織或鉤針的材料

out into the urban environment, graffiti-style --

以塗鴉的方式帶入城市環境裡。

or, more specifically,

或是，更準確地說

without permission and unsanctioned.

沒有得到容許和批准。

But when I started this over 10 years ago,

但是在10年前， 我開始這個活動的時候，

I didn't have a word for it,

我沒有給它命名，

I didn't have any ambitious notions about it,

我沒有什麼野心的主張，

I had no visions of grandeur.

我沒有什麼宏偉的遠見。

All I wanted to see was something warm and fuzzy and human-like

我只是想要看到一些 溫暖、毛茸茸、人性化的東西

on the cold, steel, gray facade that I looked at everyday.

纏綣每天看起來冷冰、鋼筋、 灰濛濛的那些表面。

So I wrapped the door handle.

所以我裹起了門的把手。

I call this the Alpha Piece.

將它命名為始初的作品。

Little did I know that this tiny piece would change the course of my life.

但從沒有想過，這樣的 一件小物改寫了我的人生。

So clearly the reaction was interesting.

這回事引起的回應非常有趣。

It intrigued me and I thought, "What else could I do?"

我很好奇，心想： 「我還能做些什麼呢？」

Could I do something in the public domain that would get the same reaction?

要是我在公共場所這樣做， 會引起同樣的回應嗎？

So I wrapped the stop sign pole near my house.

所以我裹起了住家附近的 一支停車標示杆。

The reaction was wild.

這引發了狂熱的回應。

People would park their cars

大家會把車子停好，

and get out of their cars and stare at it,

走下車來，盯著這杆，

and scratch their heads and stare at it,

搔著自己的頭，盯著這杆，

and take pictures of it and take pictures next to it,

拍下這杆並且人杆合照，

and all of that was really exciting to me

這些都讓我感到很興奮，

and I wanted to do every stop sign pole in the neighborhood.

所以我意圖把附近每一支 停車標示杆都裹起來。

And the more that I did, the stronger the reaction.

我裹得越多，人們的反應就越強烈。

So at this point I'm smitten.

因此在這刻，我傾倒了。

I'm hooked.

好過癮喲。

This was all seductive.

這一切都無比吸引我。

I found my new passion

我有了新的愛好，

and the urban environment was my playground.

整個城市環境就是我的遊樂場。

So this is some of my early work.

這些是我早期的作品。

I was very curious about this idea of enhancing the ordinary,

我對這個主意很好奇： 就是去美化日常中平凡無奇，

the mundane, even the ugly,

甚至是醜陋的事物，

and not taking away its identity or its functionality

在保留其自身特徵或是功能的情況下，

but just giving it a well-tailored suit out of knitting.

給它量身編織一件優質的外衣。

And this was fun for me.

這對我來說很有趣。

It was really fun to take inanimate objects

能夠把那些老氣橫秋的物品

and have them come to life.

轉化成為生氣盎然，多有趣。

So ...

所以呢...

I think we all see the humor in this,

我想大家都看出了其中的幽默，

but --

但是...

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I was at a point where I wanted to take it seriously.

我當時希望更認真推展針織塗鴉，

I wanted to analyze it.

我希望去分析針織塗鴉這行為。

I wanted to know why I was letting this take over my life,

我想了解自己為什麼容許 針織塗鴉主宰我的生活、

why I was passionate about it,

為什麼我會這樣沉醉、

why were other people reacting so strongly to it.

為什麼人們會有這樣熱切的回應。

And I realized something.

我從中頓悟了一些事。

We all live in this fast-paced, digital world,

我們都生活在這個 瞬息萬變的數位世界，

but we still crave and desire something that's relatable.

但是我們仍然熱中 並渴望一些聯繫和聯結。

I think we've all become desensitized

我想我們都住在過度發展的都市裡，

by our overdeveloped cities that we live in,

環境讓我們都變得麻木，

and billboards and advertisements,

過於習慣那些大型告示板、廣告牌、

and giant parking lots,

和大型停車場，

and we don't even complain about that stuff anymore.

麻木得都已經不再抱怨了。

So when you stumble upon

所以當你無意間遇上

a stop sign pole that's wrapped in knitting

一支裹上了針織物的停車標示杆時，

and it seems so out of place

看起來好不搭嘎，

and then gradually -- weirdly --

但是慢慢地、奇怪地，

you find a connection to it,

你會找到與它的關連，

that is the moment.

就是那瞬間。

That is the moment I love

那是我愛的瞬間

and that is the moment I love to share with others.

那是我愛和其他人一起分享的瞬間。

So at this point, my curiosity grew.

那個時候，我的好奇愈來愈強。

It went from the fire hydrants and the stop sign poles

從消防栓和停車標示杆

to what else can I do with this material.

到我如何能更善用針織物料，

Can I do something big and large-scale and insurmountable?

然後再進一步做大規模、 難以駕馭的物品嗎？

So that's when the bus happened.

所以，這輛公車就誕生了。

This was a real game changer for me.

這是我的轉捩點。

I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for this one.

我內心深處對這公車總會有所偏愛。

At this point, people were recognizing my work

那個時候，我的作品已經廣為人知，

but there wasn't much out there

但這樣大規模、

that was wrapped in knitting that was large-scale,

用針織裹起來的作品少之又少。

這肯定是第一輛 用針織裹起來的城市公車。

and this definitely was the first city bus to be wrapped in knitting.

So at this point, I'm experiencing,

那時候，我開始體會、

or I'm witnessing something interesting.

看到了一些有趣的現象。

I may have started yarn bombing but I certainly don't own it anymore.

我大概開創了針織塗鴉是沒錯， 但是很明顯，它已經不只屬於我了。

It had reached global status.

針織塗鴉有著自己全球性的地位。

People from all over the world were doing this.

世界各地的人都在針織塗鴉。

And I know this because I would travel to certain parts of the world

我知道有這個情況是因為

我到某些從未去過的地方旅行時，

that I'd never been to,

and I'd stumble upon a stop sign pole and I knew I didn't wrap it.

我會偶遇某支停車標示杆， 而我知道，那並不是我裹的。

So as I pursued my own goals with my art --

所以，我用藝術去實踐自己的目標──

this is a lot of my recent work --

這很多是我近期的作品──

so was yarn bombing.

針織塗鴉也跟我一樣。

Yarn bombing was also growing.

針織塗鴉仍然在成長。

And that experience showed me the hidden power of this craft

這份體驗讓我發現手工藝的潛在力量，

and showed me

也讓我知道

that there was this common language I had with the rest of the world.

我和世界有一種共通語言。

It was through this granny hobby --

透過這項奶奶般的手工藝興趣──

this unassuming hobby --

一項平淡樸實的興趣──

that I found commonality with people

成為了本來和我毫不相干的人

that I never thought I'd have a connection with.

之間的一份聯繫。

So as I tell my story today,

今天我訴說著自己的故事，

I'd also like to convey to you

借此向你們傳達一個訊息：

that hidden power can be found in the most unassuming places,

潛在的力量往往出現 在最平凡不過的地方，

and we all possess skills that are just waiting to be discovered.

我們同樣也潛藏有待發掘的本領。

If you think about our hands, these tools that are connected to us,

想想我們的雙手， 這些與我們相連的工具，

and what they're capable of doing --

雙手能夠做到的事──

building houses and furniture,

建構房屋和家具、

and painting giant murals --

繪製巨型的壁畫──

and most of the time we hold a controller or a cell phone.

但在絕大部分的時間， 我們手握的是遙控器或手機，

And I'm totally guilty of this as well.

我自己也是一樣。

But if you think about it,

但你們再想一想，

what would happen if you put those things down?

把遙控器和手機放下來，會怎麼樣呢？

What would you make? What would you create with your own hands?

你會做什麼？你會用雙手創造什麼？

A lot of people think that I am a master knitter

很多人以為我是編織大師，

but I actually couldn't knit a sweater to save my life.

但事實上，我連織件毛衣 為自己禦寒都不會。

But I did something interesting with knitting

但是我用針織做了滿有趣的事情，

that had never been done before.

而這是之前沒有人做過的。

I also wasn't "supposed to be" an artist

我本來也「不應該是」藝術家，

in the sense that I wasn't formally trained to do this --

因為我沒有受過正統的藝術訓練──

I'm a math major actually.

事實上，我主修的是數學。

So I didn't think this was in the cards for me,

所以我從沒料到會自己會做這樣的事，

but I also know that I didn't stumble upon this.

但我也沒有因此而絆倒。

And when this happened to me, I held on tight,

當發生在我身上的的時候， 我就好好把握，努力不懈，

I fought for it and I'm proud to say that I am a working artist today.

並且可以很驕傲地說 我現在是專職的藝術家。

So as we ponder the future,

當我們在思量未來的時候，

know that your future might not be so seamless.

要明白未來不一定順遂。

And one day, you might be as bored as I was

某一天，你也許會和我一樣悶壞了，

and knit a door handle to change your world forever.

裹織起一個門把， 從此改寫了你們的人生。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）