POW!

Mark Newport wears My Batman,

one of his hand-knit superhero costumes.

An exhibition of Mark's hand-knit superhero suits includes (left to right):

Batman 2, Iron Man, Sweaterman, Every Any No Man, Bobble Man,

Aquaman, and Rawhide Kid.

Batman | 2003 | hand-knit costume, worsted-weight yarn

Bobble Man | 2006 | hand-knit costume, worsted-weight yarn

Rawhide Kid | 2004 | hand-knit costume, worsted weight yarn

Knitting a Force Field 2 | 2005 | digital print

Mark portrays himself as Sweaterman, one of his knitting superheros.

According to Mark, these heros protect their charges by generating an invisible

force field with their knitting. He is presently writing and illustrating

The Adventures of Sweaterman,

a comic book about this cast of knitting characters.

SSSK | 2005 | digital print

Batmen | 2005 | digital print

SSKOW | 2005 | digital print

"Mark Newport uses textile processes such as embroidery and knitting to

examine traditional male and female roles. His knitted superhero suits embody the

hypermasculine stereotype of the comic book superhero-- sort of. Hanging limply on

a gallery wall, the knitted suits may invite one viewer to try on this role, but they also

suggest the suit's futility, since the knitting would cover the "hero" with a softness that

contradicts the macho image. The heroic image is further compromised by the fact that

the scratchy suits button up the back, like a pair of old-fashioned children's PJs."

I say, Mark should consider knitting something up for the villain...