Scissor Grids
Scissor Grids consists of two deployable panels that study how a knitted surface responds when its supporting frame expands and contracts. Each piece uses a 3 × 3 wooden scissor grid. As the linked members move, they change the spacing of the frame and stretch the textile attached to it. The knit is therefore part of the transformation, rather than a fixed image applied to the structure.
The first panel places two textile layers five inches apart. Nylon and elastic yarns respond differently as the grid opens, changing the scale and density of the visible pattern. Viewed through both layers, colors and lines overlap to create a sense of depth.
The second panel arranges its knitted surfaces diagonally across the square grid. This orientation makes the relationship between the structural grid and the textile pattern more apparent as the panel changes shape. Together, the pieces examine how a movable frame can alter a textile’s tension, transparency, and visual alignment.
Project information
Developed: December 2023–February 2024
Project type: Deployable installation and textile research
Materials: Knitted nylon and elastic yarns, wood, and bolts
Dimensions: 6 × 6 × 6 ft (as listed in the project record)
Exhibited: Kinematic Knits, Hanbury Design office, Richmond, Virginia, February 1–23, 2024;
Mainframe Studios, Des Moines, Iowa
Threading the Needle: Fiber Art in Iowa, Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, October 3, 2026–January 17, 2027