Portraits in Clothing

When I saw a post about an upcoming opening on the Bmore Art blog, my first thought was "huh, that's a sort of interesting abstract painting. I wonder if the artist just used the tube of paint right on the canvas."

Then I looked closer at the image. Then I read more of the post. Turns out, Derrick Melander creates his work from second-hand clothing. The resulting sculptural pieces weigh anywhere from 500 pounds to two tons.

I think Melander's work is fascinating not just because of the narrative inherent in secondhand clothing. Each piece has a mature, well-executed concept that can keep you thinking about it on and off for days. Like the piece pictured here, for example. Here's an excerpt from Melander's website:

In a former nun's quarters, I filled a doorway with second-hand clothing, walling off an interior space. Garments reclaimed from previous projects were randomly ordered, resulting in distinct value layers (which you can see if you squint a bit). More than any other work I have created, this piece reminds me of a geological cross-section.

I named this piece silence to address my mixed feelings about religion. On the one hand, I am regularly discriminated against by various religious leaders and individuals for being gay. On the other hand, I was raised a Christian. I've been the benefactor of Christian generosity (the space granted for this show for example). In the context of this heavily symbolic space, silence refers to self-oppression, to a spiritual vow of silence and also to the fact that these works absorb sound.

Melander has a show up at University of Maryland College Park's Stamp Gallery until December 11. I definitely think it will be worth the trip to check it out.