Interview: Cosette Cornelius-Bates

The following is an interview with Cosette Cornelius-Bates. Cosette’s undergaduate work was in art and writing. She is presently finishing up her thesis at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, in theology and the arts. She is knitting her thesis.

I see your undergraduate work was in art and English. What prompted you to go to graduate school?

The need to know more about Christianity and further explore things as a artist who is also a Christian. Also, graduate school is a great place to keep on doing your art.

Yeah, disciplining myself to create after graduating — since I wasn’t pursuing art full-time — has been tough. Did you ever consider pursuing an MFA from a Christian university?

Nope. I was very much interested in learning about both theology and art at the same time.

Ah, sure. I found myself in a very similar position. I remember, albeit vaguely, seeing Regent’s theology and the arts program when I was looking for an MFA program at a Christian school (around the year 2000). I was consindering an MFA at the time with the thought of teaching at the college level. What has been your impression of the program there at Regent? Is it adequate, is it relevant to the needs and desires of its students and the Christian community? 

Regent’s history lends it to cross-disciplined Christianity, starting from the belief that we are all ministers no matter what we do. It trained (and still trains) lay people to combine their vocation with Christian thinking. That said, Regent’s program is not an MFA program and people coming into it will be incredibly let down if that’s what they expect. You’re expected to already be a professional artist coming in. You may have to fight a bit for your education here, but it is well worth it.

I do not like the word relevant as used in the Christian community, so I will use the word necessary.

It is certainly a loaded term, but the best I could come up with for the situation!

Regent is a great theology school, albeit spread a bit thin. What they are trying to do and accomplish is necessary to both the growth of the church and to the people who go here. Like all institutions, it has its problems, but they do not yet trump what they have to offer.

What is the balance between theology (presumably lectures) and studio courses in the program?

The program is first and foremost a Masters of Christian Studies, so it certainly leans towards the theology. You have to have a love of your art and know how to keep doing it when very busy to get any art in the first year. My friend Jim (who is doing his thesis show with mine) and I both got nothing done our first year here. Or maybe that is necessary too.

How is knitting related to theology?

For me, everything is theological. Knitting in particular strikes me as connected on many levels. At the very bottom, it is something we can do to be creative in our everyday lives. One of the questions I am asking in my thesis is how we live as people made in the image of a creative God.

At its best, knitting is also relational- not only in that we take seriously our role as created by a creative God- but also in that knitting is inherently about other people. It is about care, love, warmth, prayers and wishes. It is also about people getting together, talking, telling stories, being productive and creative together.

One step deeper along this path, knitting is about stewardship. It is about sheep and alpaca, llama and goat. It is about taking the time to know why these are amazing gifts from God, caring about how the animals are treated and appreciating the gifts of creation.

As you can see, knitting is a deep practice. It harkens back generations in a world that is obsessed with shallow consumption. It takes into account other humans, creation, and God in a culture where we are told that none of that matters, only our purchases. Practices like knitting, living theology, are essential to our world right now. They help to preserve and give meaning in a world in which it is often absent. Knitting is an example of what philosopher Albert Borgmann calls a ‘focal practice’-a practice that brings things out of the muck and business of the modern world and into a place where we can see again.

What made you think of knitting your thesis?

When the time came to decide, I had a class called ‘Vocation of the Artist.’ I brought in my paintings, my poetry, and my knitting. Everybody was especially taken by the knitting and that was when I knew that knitting had a power that I did not expect. So I decided to explore knitting and theology more.

Do your projects visually reflect theology? If so, how?

Nope. I do have a scarf called the holy spirit scarf.

You use a lot of recycled yarn — a very important part of your work. Does the theological idea of restoration show in your work, or play out in the process? 

The recycling is certainly playing with the ideas of restoration and redemption. I’m subverting the modern norm of mass producing too many animal product sweaters and not taking the product seriously. In re-knitting, I am holding the animal fiber yarn up as something more valuable that needs to be considered. On another front, I am also, very practically, recycling sweaters and fibers that no one is willing to call lovely and precious and making them lovely and precious. Just doing my little part in the incarnation.

Most (in fact, all that I can find) of your knitting projects result in functional objects. Have you ever considered using this craft to draw, paint or sculpt non-functional objects?

I have considered it. On a personal level, I don’t think I can subvert a medium that I love so much. I am too attached to the practicality of wool and to all of the women who came before me. I am planning a painting and lace shawl project, but the shawls will still be ultimately useful. For me, wool is for warmth. When not used for warmth, it almost seems a waste to me. That said, I would totally buy a weaving or what have you for my wall. I don’t mind if others do it, it’s just not my thing. When you become so deeply involved with a medium while making art, I expect that you’re probably using it in good ways.

How has the art community approached and/or viewed your knitting?

I am more a member of the crafting community than the art community. The nice thing about knitting is that everyone understands it. People naturally know what it means. Many of the people who originally were so moved by my knitting are fine artists, but, yet, knitting seems more primal to me. That said, I can’t imagine it going over well in the high art community. It does go over well with random people on buses though.

Your Etsy store is doing very well according to your blog. How long have you used Etsy? How did the store become so successful?

I have been on Etsy since June 26, 2006. I really have no idea how my store became successful. I hope that I do good work and do it well and I hope that is what people are attracted to.