"In our current social climate, cloth has reached a near-ephemeral state of ubiquity. This is the story of a sacred object gradually losing its context in the post-Industrial world."
—April Camlin, 2018
Ravel & Unravel
Found, unraveled, & rewoven denim pockets, 20/2 gauge organic cotton yarn, woven in the width of kimono yardage (40 cm)
2017
Denim, woven in twill for strength, is an iconic symbol of American workwear. This symbolism has led to a dynamic history of translational layers between this utilitarian article and the post-war Japanese market. In an effort to Westernize, Japan carefully studied American denim, eventually becoming one of the most important centers of denim production and consumption worldwide.
In addition to denim's symbolic history, the structure of the cloth itself—indigo-dyed warp & white weft—produces its own visible history. Through wear, the indigo warp threads reveal their white core; the white weft becomes more visible. Thus, color variations reveal worn memories.
By unravelling and rebuilding, I give each thread new meaning. Twill becomes plain weave. Structure becomes image. The stretched image reveals hidden elements. All transformations are translational.