 | | | Photo A. Firth
| | | | | | The colorful wool sock that now serves as a sheath for the undulating metal bike rack in Orinda's Library Plaza is a perfect fit. The City's Art in Public Places program has filled the outdoor space with vibrant sculpture by several Bay Area artists, and the incorporation of some textile art makes a logical progression. But the City had nothing to do with the addition of this artistic knitwear in its suburban landscape. The yarn installation is the work of the street artist "Streetcolor" - she's a yarn bomber; a member of a growing community of knitting graffiti artists.
Berkeley-based Streetcolor doesn't venture east through the tunnel often, so why did she choose Orinda? Because, hey, it's pretty cool to have a library with a cafÇ, and when she chanced upon the art-filled plaza and the naked rack, she thought, "This has gotta be the most perfect spot." There is no way to knit and dash, so Streetcolor returned the next day and settled in with four, nine-foot long knitted sections that took her and a friend two and half hours to sew on. Yes, Orinda, you've been tagged. [Streetcolor's yarn installation has weathered the week's rains and remained in place as of press time.] A. Firth
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA