I’ve been meaning to write about this new amazing project called the Knotted Line.

From the Knotted Line by Evan Bissell

The project is described as follows:

The Knotted Line is an interactive, tactile laboratory for exploring the historical relationship between freedom and confinement in the geographic area of the United States. With miniature paintings of over 50 historical moments from 1495-2025, The Knotted Line asks: how is freedom measured? Just as importantly, The Knotted Line imagines a new world through the work of grassroots movements for self-determination.

I want to warn you that you should not look through this online art project if you are in a hurry. I have literally spent several hours looking through everything on the site. This project basically examines the historical relationships between incarceration, education and the economy in the U.S. As I am working on creating an exhibition about a history of Black confinement and captivity, I am grateful to be able to explore this new project. It is giving me some excellent ideas for the exhibition that I am developing.

I cannot imagine how many hundreds of hours of work have gone into creating the Knotted Line but I am incredibly grateful to the creators of this project. It is invaluable.