1. Introduction
Ernesto Neto is a Brazilian contemporary artist known for elaborate large-scale, immersive installations in which the viewer’s physical interaction with the work is intrinsic to the experience. One of his most recognized works, Leviathan Thot (2006), well exemplifies his fascination with organic forms and the human body enmeshed with cultural traditions related to craftsmanship and Indigeneity (Bishop 2012). Techniques such as crochet reflect a tendency not just to refer but to engage in a much more intimate discourse with traditionally domestic, handmade objects. In this respect, however, I argue that Neto does not maintain tradition; instead, it becomes something in which craft, large-scale installation art, and wholly novel elements coalesce. In such acts, Neto reconfigures the experience offered by these materials and traditions. His art is hybrid in that it retains elements of the traditional while contemporary operations have restaged it. Neto operates at the border between art, space, and an active viewer, thus translating cultural traditions that are relevant to today.
2. Description of the Artwork
Leviathan Thot is a vast installation created from soft, stretchable fabrics like nylon or Lycra. These materials are hand-crocheted to form hanging organic shapes reminiscent of body parts or natural forms. Suspended from the ceiling and protruding into the gallery, it resembles a soft architectural setting. Another distinguishing characteristic of the work is the spices inserted into the fabric forms, such as cloves and turmeric, which produce pungent odors filling the space (Moszynska 2013). Hence, the work is visual and sensorial: visitors are invited to walk around and sometimes inside the installation, making the experience interactive. Most of the colors used are warm and earthy, such as brown and yellow, giving the artwork an organic feeling. The weight of the spices stretches the fabric, giving rise to tension and movement. Thus, the work is not static but alive. What strikes me most is how Neto has used crochet. Whereas crochet is generally associated with small, utilitarian objects, here, it becomes something vast and immersive. He also introduces notions of touch and smell, which are often not significant within traditional sculpture (Bourriaud 2002). Therefore, the work here is more of an environment than an object.
3. Description of the Tradition
Crocheting and textile production have been established for a long time in many world cultures, including those of Brazil and South American Indigenous peoples. Generally, this involves making functional items like garments, blankets, or decorative textiles. The materials are usually natural, such as cotton or wool, and the processes are skillful, repetitive, and time-consuming (Adamson, 2013). Such handicrafts are usually linked to everyday life and hence form part of the so-called female domain of labor. They are also essential in passing on cultural knowledge from one generation to another. In many Indigenous cultures, textile production may be imbued with spiritual or symbolic meanings relating to nature and identity (Berlo & Phillips, 2015). Traditional textiles are typically structured, patterned, and symmetrical. Their scale is generally small, and they are meant to be used daily or in specific ceremonies. More importantly, their making is sometimes done communally, thus consolidating social bonds. This means that the textile traditions go beyond object-making to culture, identity, and shared knowledge.
4. Critical Analysis
However, when Ernesto Neto inserts textile traditions into the modern space of contemporary art, they change radically from small, functional objects to large, immersive environments. This dramatically alters the modes of engagement with them; in a museum or gallery, one is invited to enter and experience the work rather than merely look at it. This explains how traditions shift when they enter new contexts. Neto’s work exemplifies hybridity by fusing traditional craft, contemporary art, and influences from Indigenous culture. On one level, this may reinforce tradition by rendering it visible and relevant; on the other, removing it from its original context may change the nature of its meaning. This is not simply a question of conserving tradition but of questioning it. By scaling up crochet into large-scale works, he questions the assumption that craft is secondary to fine art (Adamson 2013). Thus, Neto’s work shows that traditions are not immutable but can shift and develop over time as artists give them new meanings.
References
Adamson, Glenn. 2013. The Invention of Craft. London: Bloomsbury.
Berlo, Janet C., and Ruth B. Phillips. 2015. Native North American Art. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Bishop, Claire. 2012. Artificial Hells: Participatory Art and the Politics of Spectatorship. London: Verso.
Moszynska, Anna. 2013. Sculpture Now. London: Thames & Hudson.