When Asked What Color The Sky Was

She Said It Was White

This series contains ambiguous shapes interpreted as signs of growth or deterioration that feel synonymous with my perception of home and family as I attempt to embrace young adulthood. The static nature of furniture chalks a striking recognition to change; the addition of new family members paralleling the deaths of others reinforces my childhood house no longer feeling like home. Through the personal development depicted as coming-of-age, the pathos of seemingly fixed objects in a living space transforms with each new experience. The representation of furniture forms onto a human body visualizes this juxtaposition. The title, When Asked What Color the Sky Was, She Said It Was White, references an anecdote told by linguist Guy Deutsher as he attempts to teach his daughter color. Attempting to ascribe color to a non-object such as the Sky laments on the effect of aging and the framework in which the world is to be understood. The exclamation that the Sky is an object at all, let alone bearing properties of color, illustrates the ever-changing understanding of physical forms and how it can be challenged.

Each garment is created solely with second-life fabric. Second-life refers to textiles that have once already fulfilled their cycle of use, now with a reinterpreted means for function. I curated fabrics to emulate familial textures and patterns reminiscent of my childhood experiences. Sourcing included gifts from friends and family, items from antique markets, and thrift stores; beginning their new cycle of use. Each color and pattern for me is reminiscent of being at home, as the familial textures and colors could be found throughout numerous gatherings. By recognizing the longevity of furniture that clothing pales in comparison to, the incorporation of previously used fabrics was intended as a means to pay respects to their many origins while pushing their significance forward onto a new narrative. I feel that it is important to bring such history to the forefront of my collection as it parallels my own experiences of textiles as a motif for time.