Imagine a t-shirt. You probably think of a white plain t-shirt, most likely Hanes: classic, crisp and unassuming. And while there is, of course, a certain beauty to the simplicity and timelessness of a traditional white T-shirt, it’s still a bit basic. Unfinished. It’s almost a blank canvas.
The artist duo known as Clarke & Reilly (David Grocott and Bridget Dwyer) saw this creative potential in the structure of a T-shirt and conceived of an exhibition called Blue Collar With the T-shirt as its core. On view now through November 4th at LA’s SIZED Studio in West Hollywood, Blue Collar This space has 62 T shirts hanging from its ceiling. The pieces are made from fabric dyed indigo that spans three centuries. They come from all over the world.
“We just copied the classic American T-shirt, and that was it,” Grocott told me bluntly when he and Dwyer gave me a tour of the exhibition just before its opening. “I’ve always deconstructed stuff, and I had this huge piece of material, and I was thinking of how I could deconstruct it and make it individual in each piece. Fabric lent itself well to this basic, classic shirt. It’s a very humble shirt, which kind of speaks to everyone.”
It’s the universal functionality of the everyday T-shirt that underscores the greater theme of Blue Collar As a reflection of the American working classes, especially within the Los Angeles Garment District. The 62 dangling T-shirts sway and spin slowly from strips of a painter’s drop cloth that Grocott cut up, creating a sense of movement and bustle reminiscent of a factory or warehouse. Magnus Vines’ soundtrack pulsates as a kind of sonic poetry, featuring samples from cultures and nations around the world. The result is a twisted, eerie sound that creates tension between the floating T shirts.
“Our process is very much the idea that things have a life of their own, and one thing turns into the next,” Dwyer told me as she elaborated on Blue Collar’s origins. “That’s how David always works; this is his nuanced reaction to the working class in America versus some kind of political statement. It came out of walking around LA and observing all of these people that were working and making things happen.”
The concept of Blue Collar Dwyer, who had also worked with fabric, used it in other works. They weathered it and played with it. They most recently incorporated it in an installation at Howard Hughes’ compound in LA.
The fabric is a stunning amalgamation of utilitarian material found in England’s Black Country, the French countryside, and the Northeastern US. Materials include bedsheets from old sacks or peasant clothes, farming clothing, patches and old repairs. The fabric was then dyed with indigo, a dye that is sourced from India, Japan, and the US.
As things age, they become more beautiful.
Bridget Dwyer
“This textile has been with us in our practice for about five years, and the fabric spans 300 years,” explained Dwyer. “So these 300 years of fabric were all hand-stitched together and then dyed with three types of pigment. They can be used in many different ways. For example, they can be aged in the field. When we put them out in the field to age them, this wasn’t the project.”
Grocott & Dwyer placed three sections of fabric at different locations along a mountain range, in Northern California. One location had dappled lighting, another hyper-exposed light and the third site was on a mountainside. The fabric was wrapped around a boulder, which cows with long horns were grazing against. One was wrapped around columns that were exposed to the sun. The fabric had been exposed to the elements for 3 months before Grocott & Dwyer went back to retrieve it.
“When David had taken the textiles down from this land, he was like, ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do with it next,’” said Dwyer. “I think a lot of artists work like that; it’s all about the process. One of the things that’s always in our practice is Time wears its beauty well. With the patina of time, things become more beautiful.”
This fabric has a similar effect, with the results varying from a wide spectrum of blues to a striking visual pattern like tie-dye style stripes. So, while every T-shirt in the exhibition is sewn identically, they’re each distinctly unique. “They’re all naturally different as part of the process,” said Grocott. “They’re all meant to be individual.”
The finished product Blue Collar is impressive in its own right, but it’s clear that Grocott and Dwyer care far more about the process and journey than any result. To the pair, creating and crafting with textiles are the most important aspects of their art. “We’ve been really lucky to work with people who hand dye and understand how to bring a fabric to life. There’s no Dylon or anything like that,” said Dwyer.
“This wouldn’t age like this if it were a Dylon; if it weren’t an organic, natural fabric dye, it wouldn’t look like this,” Grocott went on. “It’s got to be an organic thing. It’s got soul. You’ve got to see the person who’s done it, see the hand that’s done it.”
The duo was unsure of what to do next. Blue Collar, The gallery seemed interested in putting on the show. However, something tells me they’ll be on to the next project, perhaps repurposing the T-shirts, creating something entirely new. What that will be doesn’t really matter, alluded Grocott. “It’s the unknown that’s the most interesting thing.”