This four part painting highlights the seasons, change, and the impact of biodegradation on clothing. Based on an ancient Jewish text, Jeremiah 13, in the Bible, this painting has imagery cataloging the effect of time on a pair of underwear buried in the forest. The story goes that the prophet of God, Jeremiah, was told by God to purchase a “loin cloth,” to bury it miles away from home along a river bed, and “after a time”—scholars think quite a long time—dig up the loin cloth and wear it for the Israelites to see how useless it became with biodegradation. The imagery was meant to showcase the deterioration of the Jewish nation in captivity. (See Jeremiah chapter 13)
As an artist and clothing designer who specializes in using deadstock fabrics that are spared from the landfill, I am fascinated with this ancient Hebrew text. The story of God using biodegradation—a very modern illustration—to communicate with his people is interesting and timeless. Though this story is obscure, I had to bring it to life with a modern depiction.
For this work, my husband Matt posed for me. We really did bury a pair of Nautica briefs in Cherry Creek State Park forest. After waiting for summer to bleed into Fall, Fall turn to Winter, and Winter melt into Spring, Matt dug up the underwear and tried it on again at home.
Interestingly, the nature of modern fabrics being indestructible—a major concern for the bio-hazard of fast-fashion on our planet—meant that the underwear, though dirt-scuffed and wet from dew, was still passable after it went through our washer one time. This result was no doubt opposite of what the prophet Jeremiah experienced. His directive from God was to purchase a loin cloth made of pure linen. No doubt this fabric would have been much atrophied after it’s burial in the ground by a rivers edge.
My tetraptych painting catalogues the journey of this pair of briefs.
This four part painting highlights the seasons, change, and the impact of biodegradation on clothing. Based on an ancient Jewish text, Jeremiah 13, in the Bible, this painting has imagery cataloging the effect of time on a pair of underwear buried in the forest. The story goes that the prophet of God, Jeremiah, was told by God to purchase a “loin cloth,” to bury it miles away from home along a river bed, and “after a time”—scholars think quite a long time—dig up the loin cloth and wear it for the Israelites to see how useless it became with biodegradation. The imagery was meant to showcase the deterioration of the Jewish nation in captivity. (See Jeremiah chapter 13)
As an artist and clothing designer who specializes in using deadstock fabrics that are spared from the landfill, I am fascinated with this ancient Hebrew text. The story of God using biodegradation—a very modern illustration—to communicate with his people is interesting and timeless. Though this story is obscure, I had to bring it to life with a modern depiction.
For this work, my husband Matt posed for me. We really did bury a pair of Nautica briefs in Cherry Creek State Park forest. After waiting for summer to bleed into Fall, Fall turn to Winter, and Winter melt into Spring, Matt dug up the underwear and tried it on again at home.
Interestingly, the nature of modern fabrics being indestructible—a major concern for the bio-hazard of fast-fashion on our planet—meant that the underwear, though dirt-scuffed and wet from dew, was still passable after it went through our washer one time. This result was no doubt opposite of what the prophet Jeremiah experienced. His directive from God was to purchase a loin cloth made of pure linen. No doubt this fabric would have been much atrophied after it’s burial in the ground by a rivers edge.
My tetraptych painting catalogues the journey of this pair of briefs.
