At loooooong last I have finished the teabag kimono piece. I think I started it when the weather was still cold! I am trying to pin down a date, but it was so long ago I simply don't remember. Suffice it to say that in the winter of 2007 I began a monumental project that I finished just last evening with the compilation of images into a film short.
1000 Tea Bags is part of my on-going obsession of "trying to find comfort in an uncomfortable world".
Construction began with a large piece of tulle which I fashioned into a kimono. From there, my
mom and I drank over 1000 cups of Tetley tea. ("Tetley makes it Better"...no?) I hand sewed the bags, tea and all, to the tulle. When I finished, I was not satisfied with it. It was very heavy and as a result stretched out the form quite a bit, so I decided to cut out all the tea. What I ended up with was what I had initially envisioned. A light, airy, free-flowing garment that was totally impractical. I also ended up with 2 additional pieces; an installation of the residue of the tea that was drained from the robe, as well as a simple film/performance.
Look for the kimono on the runway this September. "Runway Earth" is a fund raising event that benefits GROUNDWORKS PROVIDENCE, the community gardens in many Providence neighborhoods. The fashions in this show are all produced with recycled materials. It was fortuitious that I should be making this piece when the call for art/fashions went out.
Watch the abridged version of the performance below. Enjoy the show!
Construction began with a large piece of tulle which I fashioned into a kimono. From there, my
mom and I drank over 1000 cups of Tetley tea. ("Tetley makes it Better"...no?) I hand sewed the bags, tea and all, to the tulle. When I finished, I was not satisfied with it. It was very heavy and as a result stretched out the form quite a bit, so I decided to cut out all the tea. What I ended up with was what I had initially envisioned. A light, airy, free-flowing garment that was totally impractical. I also ended up with 2 additional pieces; an installation of the residue of the tea that was drained from the robe, as well as a simple film/performance.
Look for the kimono on the runway this September. "Runway Earth" is a fund raising event that benefits GROUNDWORKS PROVIDENCE, the community gardens in many Providence neighborhoods. The fashions in this show are all produced with recycled materials. It was fortuitious that I should be making this piece when the call for art/fashions went out.
Watch the abridged version of the performance below. Enjoy the show!
