Upcycling is a practice which elevates materials from their original conditions. Typically, the process is utilized with old clothes to give them new life. But upcycling can be applied to any and all art forms. The entirety of Work in Progress represents pieces upcycled from a previous form, thus the title. Because when a work can be reused and repurposed for a new project, the work is never really done. The installation centers around a collection of upcycled garments, from minor tailoring jobs, to a jacket constructed entirely from vintage military duffel bags. The garments are all styled and photographed within a bound photobook which shares the installation’s title. Along with photographs, the book features in-progress sketches from University of Washington Architectural Design student Nathalie O’Parka, who also models in the book. Photography is upcycled throughout the installation as wheat paste posters and screen printed elements on the book and the Carhartt jacket on display.
As it is an on-going project for myself, none of these pieces claim to be perfect. But the jagged edges, grainy photographs, and irregular stitchwork demonstrate a personal aesthetic that is influenced by the blue-collar lifestyle which informs so much of today’s fashion. Beyond functional attire, Work in Progress highlights the blue-collar mode of production — manual labor. By choosing to make everything by hand for this installation, I had more freedom to utilize familiar and unfamiliar techniques. While the primary medium is photography, Work in Progress makes use of printmaking, bookbinding, sewing, and woodworking.
