I Cannot Knot

May 2021

Oak, Polypropylene Rope, & Steel Hardware

I Cannot Knot captures the delicacy of a knot that has not yet been tightened, providing the space between push and pull. This interaction is similar to the person swinging and the person pushing them. One is floating and timeless, the other is grounded. If a knot is not pulled, it does not function. If this swing was grounded, it would not function either. 

I Cannot Knot was my first challenge to the linearity of wood. The curves were fabricated using loose tenon joinery and shaping with machines and hand tools. To create identical curves, I attached two pieces of wood together and cut them out at the same time. This assured efficiency and symmetry. This swing investigates continuous, curvilinear forms and the negative space that they create.