Repurposing Textiles in Artwork to Add Meaning and Reduce Waste

I try to be deliberate about the materials I use into my artwork. When selecting yarn or fabric for my mixed media sculptures, the first things I consider are the color and pattern. I take into account the texture and weight, and how the material feels in my hand as I work with it. There are other factors at play too. Some materials carry history or symbolism. My choice of others is motivated by a desire to reduce textile waste. These elements add to the stories in the artwork.

Incorporating meaning from the history of the material

In my most recent work, Lobby Disturbance, I repurposed some beautiful damask linen napkins. To me, they symbolize expensive dinners in elegant restaurants. They seemed appropriate in setting the scene for a business lunch between a lobbyist and legislator. I wrapped the gulls in the napkins, tucking and stitching them in place.

To complement the pure white fabric of the stuffed shirts, I made the birds’ feathered wings and backs from luxurious yarns blended from cashmere, alpaca, wool, and mohair. The material evokes a fine grey suit. The birds’ black heads are covered with silk paper, a slight sheen catching the light to emphasize the elegant surface. You can read how I made the silk fusion in this blog post.

I finished off the gulls with bits of knitted lace. The frill is both feathery and excessive. I am trying to push the bird’s dignified appearance right to the edge, since its behavior has gone out of bounds.

The upset tray, the broken china, and food spilling across the scene suggest a disturbance.  Their activities don’t fit with the respectable setting. There is a subtext to this meal.

Keeping material out of the waste stream

Underneath the fancy feathered fabric is a layer of woven cotton canvas, providing a barrier between the armature and the decorative outside. I often re-use worn out pants and shorts for this hidden layer of my sculptures. In this instance, the material does not add meaning to the sculpture. Rather, the aim here is to keep used textiles out of the waste stream.

Textile waste is a big problem worldwide. The waste occurs at various stages, from mill-ends at the production stage to cast-offs by consumers seeking the latest fashion trend. Less than 14% of all clothing thrown away in the U.S. is recycled. This article from the BBC explains more. Even when we think we are donating used clothing to a recycling program, much of it ends up being shipped to African countries where it gets dumped in polluting landfills.

So, for reasons of artistic expression and concern for the environment, I am paying attention to the materials I use. Some of my worn-out clothes and household textiles are making their way into my artwork. It’s not always obvious how to transform these materials, but it’s a worthwhile challenge.