I’d Knit That Wearable Art at The Locker Room Hosted by RandomWalk

Fiber artist Kendall Ross, also known as I’d Knit That made her way into The Locker Room gallery for a pop-up exhibition hosted by RandomWalk August 26 featuring her one of a kind hand-knit wearable art. Organized by a team of Randomwalk, a New York City artist collective working with artists who work outside the norm of the traditional art world, the event saw crowds of art enthusiasts. From Oklahoma City where the artist is based, to New York, such events provide a platform for artists like Ross to gain exposure and recognition for her wearable art.

Founder and curator of a variety of arts-centered events throughout the city, Matthew Goldstein says “I absolutely love visiting museums and discovering new art through galleries but I often feel there is too much homogeneity and gatekeeping in the art community and gallery world.

What I want to achieve with Randomwalk is to create a different type of gallery or exhibition that feels inclusive to everyone, that feels more like an experience or an event rather than just a room with white walls and framed art. We make sure to feature not just higher-priced originals but a variety of artwork at multiple price points, so there is something for everyone.”

Randomwalk has existed since the end of the quarantine when Goldstein sought out to showcase the work of New Yorker Cartoonist Liana Finck, Comic Book author Tommy Siegel, and comedic artist Cal Kearns. As their first show, sponsored by Brooklyn Winery and Portion, the event ended up being successful, bringing in almost 1,000 people and selling 200 works of art. Goldstein continues “we had no idea what to expect and were really fortunate to find out we had tapped into something bigger than we anticipated.”

Artcurrently talks to I’d Knit That about her knitted tees and sweaters.

What can viewers expect in this pop-up exhibition? What are other exhibitions you're working on or look forward to?

I've spent the summer hand-knitting over a dozen one-of-a-kind wearable art pieces. I'm obviously biased, but the work I'm showing at The Locker Room is some of the best art I've ever made. Viewers can expect to see bright, colorful, and unique sweaters, vests, and other garments. I'll have prints and stickers of my original work available at the event as well.

I'm so thankful to Randomwalk for hosting this event. In my experience, knitting isn't always called "art" or shown in the same way that other visual art is, so this is such a great opportunity to really show off the power of knitting and fiber art to people who may not have seen it in a gallery like this.

I'm always working on pieces even if they aren't for shows or exhibitions. It's hard for me to sit somewhere without having knitting needles in my hands. I have shows coming up next year locally in Oklahoma and on the West Coast, but they haven't been officially announced yet!

What inspired you to use the quotes for each piece?

I use text in pretty much all of my work. I write all the quotes. I spend a lot of time journaling and jotting thoughts down in the notes app on my phone.

Knitting is how I process what I'm feeling or going through or thinking about. The pieces for this show and the text I knit into them are heavily inspired by what I've been doing this summer. Recently I've been focused on the idea of how I present myself through my art and on the internet vs. who I really am and what my life looks like when it's not on display in some capacity. While the pieces are so personal to me, I believe they're relatable to a lot of different people going through their own experiences.

What was the first art piece you ever made that someone bought?

I didn't call myself an artist for the longest time. I started selling my knits to my friends when I was in college, but the first time I ever sold a piece I confidently called "art" was during my first solo art show in Oklahoma City in January of 2022. My parents got to the show before me, and my mom texted me photos of pieces with red dots on the labels. I've always loved my work obviously, but that was a moment for me where I was like- oh other people are actually into this.

What's the best advice you've received about your practice and willing to share with other aspiring creatives?

I don't remember exactly where I heard this, but the advice I think about the most in my day-to-day practice is along the lines of "everything will take longer than you expect." I feel this on a very practical level when I'm knitting and I feel like no matter how hard I work the project is not moving as quickly as I want. The bigger picture of it for me is also this idea that not everything I want to accomplish will happen all at once, and I need to trust the process of creating and working to make progress in my career.

How long does it take you to a garment/wearable art, as an estimate?

I get asked this question all the time, and I never have a good answer for it. The time it takes me to make something really does depend on what I'm creating and how motivated I am to get it finished. The harsh reality for me is that I am way less productive as an artist if I don't have a TV show to watch that I'm really into. If I have a good show though I could probably hand-knit you a sweater in a few days haha.