THE URCHINS

Crocheters:

Jin Choi

Sophie Cho 

Hyokyung Lee 

Patti  Murphy 

JungHee Suh 

Kyula Whang

Miriam Robinson

Insuk Durham 

Mirto Golino 

Janet Griffin 

Nancy Belmudes-Gambill 

Dianna Smith 

Sandra Feldten 

Natalie Weichel 

Deidra DePagter Ball 

Sue Babbs 

Victoria Kruse 

Patty Foley 

Rose Nissen 

Peihan Orestes 

Jena Duncan 

Elida Fejzaj

Eunhye Kim 

Mijeong Takahashi 

Concetta Phillipps

Mary Blumestien 

Cheryl Blair 

Kelly Ran 

Corina Palmer 

Melinda Burnett

Nora Hill

Sara Gregory

Priscilla Alarcon

Paige Henderson

Renata Carvalho

Effy Basset

Nicole Ranta

Sammi Elliot

Helena Kang

Cindy Ralston

Jen Serwitz

Lillian Hughes

Heather Cap

Faith Taylor

Laura Finder

Lindsey Walsworth

Pam Bee-Lindgren

Priscilla Smith

Amiee Dill

Ashlee Deetz Schleicher

Coty Colson

The Urchins interact with natural light during the day, and glow when illuminated at night. 

At night, the mysteriously hovering and glowing large Urchins create a sense of magic as if time has stopped.  When viewers enter into the Urchins, they will be surrounded by a single layer of glowing, lacy surface, where they can enjoy the detail and texture of the Urchins and see the city, water and the sky through this visual filter.  When other viewers see the occupants in the Urchins, the occupants will glow within the lacy room, creating an illusion of ethereal levitation of the occupants, while the occupants become a part of the art work.

Seeing hovering and glowing lacy objects against majestic skyscrapers and dark water would make them pause and gaze.  This momentary pause of the mundane routine of our life would hopefully give us an opportunity to find the poetry around us.

During the day, the crocheted surface of the Urchins reflects, absorb and retransmit sunlight.  In the morning or late afternoon sun, the Urchins appear as glowing, translucent object.  During  the full day sun, the lightweight and yet huge lace urchins cast intricate, patterned shadows creating both a pleasant visual experience and providing a small shelter from the hot sun.

The Urchins create an interesting theatrical relationship of the seers and the seen. Viewers inside the Urchins are staged as part of the artwork while viewers outside will become spectators of the occupants of the artwork.  This relationship can be reversed when the occupants see the city and the people outside the Urchins framed as artwork captured in each openings of the lace.

The images and design  copyright 2016-2022 Choi+Shine Architects, LLC.  All rights reserved. 

Contact:  Choi+Shine Architects for written permission for image use.

If you would like to participate

in our future crochet projects,

please send us an email to:

 skim [at] choishine.com

CONCEPT

FABRICATION & INSTALLATION