Biography
Sabrina Gschwandtner is an artist, writer and curator whose work bridges the fields of conceptual art, handcraft, activism and social history. Her artwork combines photographic and textile media in videos and installations that document or provoke participation, tactility, political discourse and slowness. She received her BA in art/semiotics from Brown University, and an MFA from Bard College. She currently lives in New York City.
Sabrina’s book “KnitKnit: Profiles and Project’s from Knitting’s New Wave” was published by Stewart, Tabori and Chang in 2007. She completed a 16 city US/UK book tour in early 2008. She has written articles, reviews and creative text for a variety of publications including American Craft, Cabinet, Fiberarts, Interweave Knits, Craft, Rowan, Selvedge, Vogue Knitting, the Millennium Film Journal, and the Journal of Modern Craft.
Her curatorial work includes KnitKnit, a limited edition artist’s publication included in the permanent collections of the Fine Arts Library, Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University and The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Sabrina has produced screenings, art exhibitions, and public crafting events at sites such as Printed Matter (NYC), Fritz Haeg’s Sundown Salon (Los Angeles), and Light Industry (Brooklyn, NY). Sabrina served as Artist Consultant for the Museum of Arts and Design’s “Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting” exhibition.
Sabrina is profiled in the following books:
Levine, Faythe and Cortney Heimerl. "Handmade Nation.” New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2008.
McFadden, David Revere. “Sabrina Gschwandtner,” in “Pricked: Extreme Embroidery.” New York: the Museum of Arts & Design, 2007.
Scanlan, Jennifer. “Sabrina Gschwandtner,” in “Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting.” New York: the Museum of Arts & Design, 2007.
And online:
“Knitting Guerillas Rock the Yarn.” The Bryant Park Project. Caitlin Kenney. National Public Radio (NPR). Jan. 31 2008.
“Knitting is…” The Journal of Modern Craft Volume 1 no. 2 July 2008
Current and upcoming projects include:
Open Studio residency at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York: Jan 22- April 30, 2009
IASPIS residency in Gustavsbergs, Sweden: May & June, 2009
Featured Speaker, “How We Make Things” conference, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, July 2009
Teacher, “From Mass-Produced to Handmade” workshop, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, July 2009