Overflow of Joy

Alyssa Lemus

See it On Campus: Level 1

Peek into the cube!

Overflow of Joy, 2023

Machine knitted acrylic, cotton, and mohair-silk blend yarns. Welded steel rods.

A dress to jump, spin, and dance in. A celebration of love, of material processes, and the meticulous work of cultivating joy for oneself.

Shaped by three steel hoops ranging from 12-36″ in diameter. On display featuring custom hanger and clothing rack, 90″ tall and 72″ wide. All yarn secondhand. Below photos taken by Leo Mah, modelled by Michael Partridge.

The bottom section of the dress was knitted communally with help from visitors to the Surface Tension group exhibition reception. Through demonstration and participation, over 300 rows of knitting were added in one evening.

OTHER WORKS

Stage Whispers Series

Stage Whispers I (Right) and II (Left) are assemblages of written word, knitted fabrics, and welded frames to create large free-standing journal pages. These “pages” of knitted fabric are created using a vintage knitting machine with screen printed text. Instead of folding the fuzzy, natural knits into a relaxed drape, they are uncomfortably stretched over spiking and unstable steel frames that stain the corners of the alpaca fibers. In this experimental welding, function and stability are thrown out in favor of building up material for visual detail, resulting in bent, misshapen, and burnt metal. Alyssa has built up violent fences against audience intrusion, distorting the intimate messages printed on the knits.