If there’s one thing we know about the people behind Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art (Mona), it’s their belief that art isn’t confined to gallery walls. Sometimes it’s queer woodchopping contests, brutal raves and poo machines. And sometimes it’s jumpers – which is where Mona’s newest collaboration with Australian artist Nell and Kaylene Milner of knitwear label Wah-Wah comes in. It’s cult art you can wear.
Launching today, the limited-edition jumper features Nell’s signature floating “karmic ghosts of existence”, while the back sports the slogan “We’re all going to die”. The knit comes in four colourways, each one representing a different vocal range – red for bass, blue for tenor, green for alto, and yellow for soprano.
Made by Wah-Wah from RWS-certified superfine Australian merino wool – a renewable, biodegradable and hard-wearing fibre – the end result is equal parts spooky, cute and punk rock.
“The ghost has become one of my most recognisable motifs, and I love that it hovers somewhere between an ancient demon and a pop-culture descendent of Pac-Man,” says Nell, a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans painting, installation, sculpture, video and ceramics, drawing inspiration from the legends of rock’n’roll.
“When Mona introduced me to Kaylene of Wah-Wah, I knew immediately that we were kindred spirits. We both channel our love of music, pop culture and fashion into our respective art forms, and we are not held back by the so-called boundaries between disciplines.”
As for Milner, it’s all about user experience, she says. And friendly ghosts.
“I love knitwear. I want to make knitwear that makes other people love knitwear as much as I do. I want the wearer to smile, laugh and feel joy when they wear Wah-Wah.
“In that respect, working with Nell’s colourful, lovable ghosts and wry words felt like a very natural pairing. I think the common threads (pun intended) between our respective practices are plain to see!”
The Mona x Wah-Wah + Nell jumper is available from the Mona Shop and online from May 9.
