Underneath the Antimacassar
Vintage armchair, crochet lace, embroidered cotton
79cm x 82cm x 81cm
2024

Who sets the ground rules?
Vintage crochet pattern, chalk pen, installed at the Glue Factory, Glasgow
2024

Detail: Shipping Not Included
Screen print
68cm x 51cm
2024

Installation View: Shipping Not Included; Turnaround
Screen print
Variable Dimensions
2024

Arms Cabinet
Knitted sleeves, handmade gun cabinet, Ruger Wrangler single action revolver
198cm x 81cm x 51cm
2024

Blake Ballard

Blake Ballard is an artist and educator from Nebraska, the traditional lands of the Pawnee people. His art practice employs textile, print, and drawing techniques to celebrate his interests, create ties to his family lineage, and connect with craft communities across the globe. These investigations address the role of art in tradition, communal fellowships, queer spaces, and the political ‘status quo’ through an ever-evolving use of textile mediums. The resulting work frames these handmade objects as an avenue to broaden our social, cultural, and physical landscape.

He is currently exploring the influence of crochet patterns distributed throughout rural America in the 1980s through the early 2000s, in an attempt to unravel the complex meanings embedded in these seemingly innocuous patterns. This research reveals connections to religion, nationalism, and white supremacy. Positioned as a catalyst for ongoing inquiry, this current research emphasizes the transformative potential within the intersection of craft and culture, ultimately encouraging a broader conversation about the role of craft in shaping inclusive and conscious narratives in contemporary art.