Kimberly Joy Trathen

13 Jun leather

Posted at 15:52h in by kjoy 0 Comments

0 Likes

The textiles and garments that surround us silently accompany us through the unfolding experiences of our lives. New stories are gathered. New histories are created. The materials become charged with a spirit that is not reproducible – a kind of social life or aura created by its own unique history.

I create new work from old things: new bags from discarded leather coats, wallets from unwanted jackets, quilts from textile and leather remnants. For this body of work, I weave scraps from previous projects into new works. The result is a charged piece of art, activated not only by my own hands, but from the material’s previous lives. Another layer is added to its history.

The humble roots of this practice – mostly utilitarian work-clothes quilts – fascinate me. It has helped inspire and guide my work in its current direction.