Mark Newport left us in 2007. During his six-year stay in the Valley, Newport made a name for himself with his unique art pieces. He knits full-body superhero outfits. Some are taken from pop culture and others are original characters.
Newport now lives in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and teaches at the Cranbrook Academy of Art. And, yes, he still knits.
(See some Q&A with this superhero obsessed artist after the jump.)
Why superheros?
Superheroes are
symbols for protection, and represent childhood dreams of what you might become,
values in the culture of what a man or woman should be, like heroes in Greek
myths. They are also enforcing their own values and rules on the society they
are actors in so there is an edge of the vigilante forcing others to do
something.
What does it feel like to wear your superhero outfits?
They
are hot and it is hard to see what is around me usually.
How and when did you originally get the idea
for knitting costumes?
I started the costumes in 2003 when I lived in
Mesa. I don't remember exactly how the idea came to me but it was a combination
of worrying about protecting my young children, thinking about past work, and
all of the news about protecting the border, and the country in general from
terrorists and other people.
Why knitting?
Traditionally knitting is associated with
women so in the costumes it contradicts the the hyper-masculine image of the
male heroes I knit costumes for. Knitting is also a quiet, labor intensive
process which is another contradiction to our expectations of superheroes and
their dynamic activities.
Who is your favorite superhero?
Batman, because he made himself a hero through money and training -- it was not born to
him or some kind of scientific accident.
Have you made up your own superheros?
I have made up a few, Bobbleman, Argyleman, F-Man, most of
them fall under the name Sweaterman and their power is the ability to generate a
force field when they knit.
Which is your favorite superhero
outfit?
Generally, my favorite is the one that is just finished or that I am
working on. That said, I am also very happy with Bobbleman, Batman 3, and
W-Man.
If you could be a superhero, which
would you be?
I am very content being who I am.
Are you ready for some real superhero action? Our Best Of Phoenix issue hits stands this Thursday, Sept. 30. Check out more superhero coverage including a superhero collection, How to Become a Caped Crusader (in Five Easy Steps) ...
