Mark Newport's Knitted Superhero Suits Challenge Gender Norms at Palos Verdes Art Center

From October 10 to November 16, 2014, the Palos Verdes Art Center is hosting an exhibition called 'Fiber Madness.' It features large, hand-knit bodysuits by Mark Newport, who is also known as Sweaterman. The exhibit displays eight suits made from acrylic yarn, which look like homemade superhero costumes, hanging loosely to challenge traditional ideas of masculinity. Newport, who leads the fiber arts program at Cranbrook Academy in Michigan, uses crafts typically associated with women to flip stereotypes on their head, as seen in his 2008 piece, Sweaterman 5. In his performance, he knits quietly in a rocking chair while wearing a suit, exploring themes of gender, labor, and domestic life. Earlier in 2014, Maddie Phinney curated a show at the same center.