Textile designer "Toshiko Horiuchi
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Introduction
Toshiko Horiuchi is one of the leading fiber artists of Japan who makes use of knitting and crochet. She is well known for her large, interactive environments made out of crochet and textile (Hosmer, 2012). It is an experience to be in those imaginative and vibrant explorations of color and form that create a thrilling play environments for the children. She studied fine art and weaving in Tokyo at the Tama Art University and later at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan (Hemmings, 2014). If one comes across a very cool and colorful landscapes in Japan, that are made of crochet netting, then they can be sure that it is Toshiko Horiuchi behind the work and installation. The Japanese artist and designer is now based in Canada, created a crocheted playground in the city of Sapporo, a city known for numerous parks and green spaces as well as beer (Palasse-Leroux, 2012). Textile playgrounds for children Horiuchi is well known today for those “textile playgrounds” for children made of brightly-colored crocheted and knotted nylon (Toshiko’s Netted Play Structures, 2016). She began her textile career in 1966 and did jobs in fabric design and weaving. She has created a number of interactive children’s sculptures throughout Japan. (Playground Crochet Artist Toshiko Horiuchi-MacAdam, 2012). The crochet artist creates large scale nets out of crochet that are visually stimulating and bold because of those vibrant colors. Toshiko Horiuchi saw a new connection in the art she wanted to create where her work and people could relate and interact. Her textile art first emerged somewhere in the late 1960s (Hemmings, 2014). The Japanese artist got a new idea all of sudden as she nervously agreed and watched children climbing her twisted and stretched suspended artwork that resembled a colorful hammock. About three years later, she was to open her first large playground made in crochet at MacAdam with the help of engineers and landscape architects. Ever since she has created several similar playscapes around Japan. (Jobson, 2012).Using the space and tension of the textile She was interested in space, tension and the ability of the textile. Her sculpture Moving Columns, an early elastic textile structure shows her interests and direction. The primary testament to the success of her works lies in the enthusiasm shown by the children. The colorful and massive architectural playgrounds bridge the worlds of art and architecture and invite both children and adults into the world to play. According to Horiuchi, when she was working as a textile designer in NYC, she began thinking about the concept of applying 'surface' design to textiles and how to transform the linear element of thread, into 3-dimensional form (Quirk, 2012). Her artwork involves architectural ideas where the form is created through tension, and the force of gravity is created because of the weight of the textile material. As her works are handmade, each of those works is one-of-a-kind and take shape under her imagination. She is fascinated as to how textile structures behave differently from other types of material. She felt the need to create spaces for children to interact and play with each other as they grow emotionally and imaginatively through play, and learn to cooperate. Her initial works were made with a twisted rope made of PVA fiber, made in Japan (Quirk, 2012). It was more durable and didn’t rot, but its usefulness was limited, as the artist knew that nylon was superior.Wonder Space This is like a giant web of radiant color and looks warm, comfortable and exciting. The carefully done rainbow color scheme is made of nylon filament knitted, de-knitted, wound onto a bobbin so as to create panels of knitted yarn, which sharply divide from each other because of those bright colors. The installation of hanging nets made of hand-crocheted textiles is a big hit with the children. The whole structure looks like a hanging web of colorful sections, which are in the form of concentric circles in bright colors. The huge, brightly colored net almost touches the ground in the center while from the sides it is fixed to the pavilion is made entirely of wood. It looks like a giant hammock made of the net where children can clamber up, race and chase each other from one colored section of the netting to another. Children can climb on the suspending structure of crocheted yarn from which colorful bobbin line structures are hanging. The spherical masses of those bobbins are in one color, and the cord by which they are attached to the web are in a different color. Children love to sit on those huge bobbins and swing. There are tires lying on the ground covered in brightly colored crocheted net. The whole structure looks surreal and dreamlike because of the shape, colors, and material used. The design used for crocheting is uniforms. Only the colors and shapes vary in the Wonder Space installation.
Complex and challenging projects There is no denying that making tons of crochet in cheerful rainbow colors is by no means a small task, and getting them installed in an attractive and complex projects is another. Each work by Horiuchi is built to encourage bouncing, climbing and nesting. One has to take care of unexpected feats of coordination and once assembled and installed; it is going to wear out with time and usage. She creates a colorful playground for the children where they can interact with her art made of yarn, crochet. Large sections of each playground are built, and the sections are then joined and tested on site. There are all sorts of design elements in those designs such as cushions, swings, pockets and nets for the children to play on and explore. Horiuchi believes in bringing laughter and joy into the lives of the children, and she finds her art come alive as she watches the children stretching, climbing, and swinging on the materials (Hosmer, 2012). A wooden scaled model is first made by her at the public space, where she plans to install the net. Then the crocheting of the piece starts and in an appropriate scale to match the wooden model. Toshiko crocheted hours a day to complete those riotous rainbow of colors for children’s playscapes. It was only after endless cycles of discussion and after giving meticulous attention to detail, and accurately scaled crocheted nets that saw a project through completion with success. The quality and weight of the yarn when everything increased in scale had to view from scientific methodologies (Johnson, 2011). The responsive crocheted landscapes In the digital world, where iPad and video games are the norms, it is essential to create environments for children that let their imaginations roam free. Unstructured play is very important for the growth and development of the children. However, opportunities are getting limited, and this is why colorful landscapes with trampoline-like bounce, made by Toshiko Horiuchi are very welcoming. The vibrant expanses are made using giant hooks and hand-crocheted tensile nylon. Like massive nets, those colors, and net capture the attention of children who love the bouncy surfaces, giving them the freedom of play and creativity (Donnelly 2015).
Climbing one of those structures by Toshiko comparison to the rocking motion of an infant in the womb. For the artist, it is very satisfying to see how her art makes a connection with people. The rocking, floating motion of the crocheted net surface mimics the rocking motion inside the womb and creates a very soothing experience for the children. The children are already familiar with the soft, elastic surface that is sensitive to the slightest movement made. Children respond to each other, and their creative minds get stimulated as they discover new ways of playing on the crocheted colorful net (Quirk, 2012).
One-of-a-kindinstallations The genesis of those colorful crocheted structures by Toshiko Horiuchi date back to the 1970s. Here were an art and structure that was not just to be looked at, but climbed over, felt and explored. The artist's work- children’s park-within-a-park won a national design award in 1992. Those projects still entertain large numbers of children who love to experience the innovative design through all the senses. The strong, beautiful and colorful structures enable children to play safely and are responsive to the slightest movement (Public art for kid, 2016).
Toshiko Horiuchi loves her job, and the children love what she creates. Her one-of-a-kind installations made out of textile yarn and synthetic fibers create a soft, cozy organism where one can play freely for hours. Her tireless and generous hands began the dream a few decades ago when she saw that there were not enough green and play spaces for children (Chelli, 2014). She feels like a hero when she creates that massive web of crocheted sections and sees countless children exploring jumping and frolicking on her creation. Those netted play structures are a sight to behold and bring color, laughter and play in the lives of children.
Bibliography
Chelli, A.-(2014). Toshiko Horiuchi Macadam, The Queen Of Textile Amusement Parks dyeinghousegallery Available: http://www.dyeinghousegallery.com/en/toshiko-horiuchi-macadam-the-queen-of-textile-amusement-parks/ [Accessed: 11th Mar 2016].
Donnelly, E. (2015). 3 Inspiring Designer Playgrounds National Available: http://www.azuremagazine.com/article/assemble-kengo-kuma-toshiko-horiuchi-macadam/ [Accessed: 11th Mar 2016].
Hosmer, K. (2012). Vibrantly Colored Crocheted Playground mymodernmet Available: http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/vibrantly-colored-crocheted-playground [Accessed: 11th Mar 2016].
Jobson, C. (2012). Crochet Playgrounds by Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam. thisiscolossal Available: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2012/07/crochet-playgrounds-by-toshiko-horiuchi-macadam/ [Accessed: 11th Mar 2016].
Johnson, P. (2011). Playground Crochet by Toshiko Horiuchi. play-scapes.Available: http://www.play-scapes.com/play-art/playgrounds-by-artists/playground-crochet-by-toshiko-horiuchi/ [Accessed: 11th Mar 2016].
PALASSE-LEROUX, E. (2012). Toshiko Horiuchi-MacAdam tricote son aire de jeux sleekdesign Available: http://www.sleekdesign.fr/2012/07/09/toshiko-horiuchi-macadam-knitted-playground-sapporo-japan/#.VuPsm3196M8 [Accessed: 11th Mar 2016].
Playground Crochet Artist Toshiko Horiuchi-MacAdam. (2012). Crochetconcupiscence Available: http://www.crochetconcupiscence.com/2012/01/playground-crochet-artist-toshiko-horiuchi-macadam/ [Accessed: 11th Mar 2016].
Public art for kids. (2016). Netplayworks. Available: http://netplayworks.com/NetPlayWorks/Home.html [Accessed: 11th Mar 2016].
Toshiko’s Netted Play Structures. (2016). daily-dose-of-art.Available: http://daily-dose-of-art.com/2015/03/16/dose-75-net-playgrounds-by-toshiko-macadam/ [Accessed: 11th Mar 2016].
Quirk, V. (2012). Meet the Artist Behind Those Amazing, Hand-Knitted Playgrounds. Archdaily Available: http://www.archdaily.com/297941/meet-the-artist-behind-those-amazing-hand-knitted-playgrounds [Accessed: 11th Mar 2016].
