I’ve always loved working with pencil. I like the way it grabs the paper and how I can control the darkness of each mark by adjusting the pressure. I usually start with a sharp point to map things out, and by the end, the softened tip is perfect for shading.
When this drawing was made in 2007, I had been working almost exclusively with second-hand clothing for seven years. I was experimenting widely at the time, but I kept returning to the idea of the stack—and I liked to draw them too. This is the first of three drawings based on my sculptural stacks of folded clothing, an early attempt to capture their physical presence on paper, while creating something that was it’s own discrete thing.
In the stacked clothing sculptures, garments are folded to precise dimensions and transition through colors, textures, and patterns. Sometimes, words printed on the clothes would remain visible, folded just so.
From a distance, people often couldn’t tell what the stacks were made of, but would be drawn to the color and the scale. As they approached, watching their expressions shift from curiosity to recognition was one of the most satisfying parts. Occasionally, someone would point to a particular garment and say, “I had that,” or “My mom used to wear that,” and the piece would suddenly become something personal—even tender.
Size, unframed: 15″ x 11″ (H x W)
Size, framed: 19.25″ x 15.25″ x 1.5″ (H x W x D)
Materials: Graphite on 200 lb. rag paper with a deckled edge, mounted to museum board.
Frame: Solid maple or birch with a natural matte finish. Profile is square.
