In my current project, Wearing, I unravel braided rugs to make them into what they may have been. Braided rugs were made from old coats, blankets and clothing. They were used to embellish the home and keep the floors warm—a sustainable way of living. When the braids are unraveled and pressed open, leopard-like spots of dirt and perfectly aligned holes reveal human movement through time. Making these is something like an excavation: I uncover the luminous patterns and colors of the fabrics and admire the craft and labor of each anonymous maker. I keep the remaining part of the rug attached to the object, to allude to the cyclical nature and shifting boundaries of the objects, and to honor the makers of these works.

Wearing Video, with Dress in Honor of my Grandmother, performed by Artist Sofía Ortiz, at the Jentel Foundation in Wyoming
2023
Wearing / Performance photo still
2023
Wearing / Ironing Boards in the Wyoming Landscape
2023
Ironing Boards, unraveled worn braided rug pieced into ironing board covers
Wearing / Detail of Ironing Boards in the Wyoming Landscape
2023
Ironing Boards, unraveled worn braided rug pieced into ironing board covers
Outfit for Catherine Rehill
2023
braided rugs, corn-on-the-cob holders
Still from Wearing, Walking, Dragging video, with Artist Sofía Ortiz
2023
Wearing / Lamentation and Reflecting Pools
2023
unbraided braided rugs, pieced to make Kleenex Box covers, Kleenex Boxes, braided rugs, Wyoming wallpaper made from a historic print altered with a drawing of a memory I witnessed of a woman carrying a deer carcass. With thanks to artist Nicole Simpkins.
Detail, Wearing / Lamentation and Reflecting Pools
2023
Wearing / Installation at the Arts Center at Duck Creek, East Hampton, NY
2021
Wearing / Installation at the Arts Center at Duck Creek, East Hampton, NY
2021
Wearing / Installation at the Arts Center at Duck Creek, East Hampton, NY
2021
Wearing / Poet Eleni Sikelianos at the Providence Natural History Museum
2023
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnants
Wearing / 6 Garments, Installation view from Duck Creek
2021
Unraveled braided rugs pieced and sewn into the attached garments
Wearing / 6 Garments, detail of stacked braided rugs
2021
Wearing / Installation at the Arts Center at Duck Creek, East Hampton, NY
2021
Artist Nicole Simpkins / Wearing, Wyoming
2021
Wearing / Poet Eleni Sikelianos
2023
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnants
Wearing / Poet Eleni Sikelianos
2023
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnants
Wearing / 19th c dress
2021
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnants

Modeled by writer Becky Hagenston

Wearing / 19th c dress fabric detail
Wearing / Braid Dress
2023
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnants, artificial braids
Wearing / Braid Dress
2023
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnants, artificial braids
Wearing / Studio view, March 2023
Wearing / Jacket
2022
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnants
Wearing / Jacket
2022
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnants
Wearing / Jacket and Skirt
2023
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnants
Wearing / Performance
2022
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnants
Wearing / Performance
2022
braided rugs
Wearing / Performance
2022
Braided Rugs
Wearing / Hammock
2022
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnants
variable
Wearing / Flood
2022
Braided rugs, unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, furniture
8 x 10 x 12 feet, variable
Wearing / Tent
2020
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnants, tent structure

I pieced this tent from worn braided rugs and pitched it on a ridge at the Ucross Foundation in Wyoming, in acknowledgment of our ongoing refugee crisis and displacement of peoples, including the Cheyenne, Crow, and Lakota nations. The holes in the fabric, revealed when I unravel each braid, are from the wear of feet over time. 

Wearing / Tent
2020
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnants, tent structure

Installed in Wyoming, at the Ucross Foundation

Wearing / Tent, detail
2020
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnants, tent structure
Wearing / Tent, at sunrise
2020
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnants, tent structure

Installed in Wyoming, at the Ucross Foundation

Wearing / Boxes
2021
Unraveled braided rugs pieced and sewn into Kleenex box covers, rug remnants
variable
Wearing / Boxes, detail
2021
Unraveled braided rugs pieced and sewn into Kleenex box covers, rug remnants
variable
Wearing / Rose Window Installation at the Arts Center at Duck Creek, East Hampton, NY
2021
Unraveled braided rugs pieced and sewn into five garments

The garments surrounding the rug were made from it. This magnificent space at the Art Center at Duck Creek opened a rethinking of the installation as a site of contemplation and transcendence. The rug at center echoes the form of of a rose window in a Gothic cathedral while the restored barn acts as a facade. All the garments surrounding the piece hover around the suspended rug, and are fabricated from it. I chose not to tether the garments to the rug to express an experience beyond the physical. 

Wearing / Dress for Eleni Sikelianos
2023
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnants
Wearing / Installation at the Ucross Foundation
2021
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnant
15 x 15"

All the garments were made from the rug in the center.

Wearing / Ucross Installation Performance
2021
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnant
15 x 15 x 6'

with thanks to the fellows at Ucross

Wearing / Skirt, detail
2021
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnant
Wearing / Skirt and shirt
2020
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnant
Wearing / detail of Skirt and shirt
2020
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnant
Wearing / Coat
2020
unbraided worn rug sewn into a coat
40 x 52"

The garment was created from the attached rug.

Wearing / Detail of Coat
2020
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnant
Wearing / Vest and Pants
2020
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnant
Wearing / Cape
2020
unbraided worn rug sewn into a cape
48 x 38"

The garment was created from the rug.

Wearing / Cape, detail
2020
unbraided worn rug sewn into a cape
40 x 52"
The Sky Above
2021
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnant
62 x 42 x 30 inches
The Sky Above, detail
Wearing / Quilt with found Rothko
2023
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnants
Wearing / Awe
2-23
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnants
53 x 49 x 20 inches
Wearing / Yellow Striped Dress
2020
Unraveled braided rugs pieced and sewn into garment

modeled by artist Nicole Simpkins

Wearing / Yellow Striped Dress
2020
Unraveled braided rug pieced and sewn into garment, rug remnant
Wearing / Installation
2020
unbraided worn rug sewn into a suit, curtains, ottoman and hat, rug remnant
8' x8' x4'

All the elements in this installation were created from the rug within.

Wearing / Ottoman
2020
unbraided worn rug upholstered onto an ottoman, rug remnant
3' x 5' x4'

The holes in the fabric are from foot traffic through time.

Wearing / Coat
2019
unbraided worn rug sewn into a coat, rug remnant
36 x 47 x 3"

A worn braided rug was unbraided, pressed, pieced together into fabric & then made into an article of clothing that may have been cut up for the rug. The holes are from the passage of footprints over time, the dirt spots reveal the unhidden surface of the braid.

Wearing /Coat, detail
2019
unbraided worn rug, pressed, pieced and sewn into fabric

The dirt spots reveal the unhidden surface of the braid, while the holes reveal the passage of footprints over time.

Wearing / Suit
2020
unbraided worn rug sewn into a suit, rug remnant
medium

A worn braided rug was unbraided, pressed, pieced together into fabric & then made into an article of clothing that may have been cut up for the rug. The holes are from the passage of footprints over time, the dirt spots reveal the unhidden surface of the braid.

Wearing / Suit
2020
unbraided worn rug sewn into a suit, rug remnant

worn by the artist

Wearing / Suit, detail
2020
unbraided worn rug sewn into a suit, rug remnant
medium

A worn braided rug was unbraided, pressed, pieced together into fabric & then made into an article of clothing that may have been cut up for the rug. The holes are from the passage of footprints over time, the dirt spots reveal the unhidden surface of the braid.

Wearing / Outfit for Calamity Jane
2020
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnant

Modeled by artist Nicole Simpkins

Wearing / Outfit for Calamity Jane
2020
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnant

Modeled by artist Nicole Simpkins

Wearing / Outfit for Calamity Jane, detail
Wearing / Outfit for Calamity Jane
2020
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnant

Modeled by artist Nicole Simpkins

Wearing / Outfit for Annie Oakley
2020
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnant

Annie Oakley crafted her self image and made her own clothes.

Wearing / Outfit for Annie Oakley
2020
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnant

Modeled by artist Nicole Simpkins

Wearing / Outfit for Annie Oakley
2020
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnant
Wearing / Knit Skirt and Top
2020
unbraided worn rug sewn into clothing, rug remnant
Wearing / Knit Skirt, Top and Stockings
2020
unbraided worn rug sewn into clothing, rug remnant

worn by the artist

Wearing / Knit Skirt, Top and Stockings
2020
unbraided worn rug sewn into clothing, rug remnant
Wearing / Stockings
2020
unbraided worn rug sewn into stockings, rug remnant
Wearing / Knit top, skirt and stockings, detail
Wearing /Hoodie
2020
unbraided worn rug sewn into a hoodie, rug remnant
Wearing / Hoodie, reverse
2020
unbraided worn rug sewn into a hoodie, rug remnant
Wearing / Yardage, Blue Stripe Installation
2020
unbraided braided rug, pressed, sewn & pieced, rug remnant
75 x 68 x 23 inches

This rug is mostly cotton and dates from the 1960s. I pieced all the strips into sections of fabric to create yardage--fabric purchased to make the shirts, table covers and curtains this maker cut up for the rug.

Wearing / Yardage detail
Wearing / Yardage with Yellow Stripe
2020
unbraided braided rug, pressed, sewn & pieced, rug remnant
Wearing / Yardage with Loops
2020
unbraided braided rug, pressed, sewn & pieced, rug remnant

This maker pieced all the strips together into one length and then crocheted the rug together. I followed their lead and looped the ends, keeping the length in tact.

Wearing / Yardage, Garden and Red
2020
unbraided braided rug, pressed, sewn & pieced, rug remnant
76 x 69 x 28 inches
Wearing: Pants with Shoe Print Shirt
2020
unbraided worn rug sewn into clothing, rug remnant, shirt printed with drawings of the artist's shoes
Wearing, Shirt
2020
Shirt made from unbraided rug, rug remnant
45 x 50"
Wearing / Shirt detail
Wearing / Installation at the Virginia Center for Creative Arts
2019
clothing and blanket made from worn braided rugs
variable
Wearing, detail of pants
2019
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnant
Wearing, detail of pants
2019
unbraided, pressed and sewn worn braided rug, rug remnant
Wearing / Blanket and Slippers
2019
unbraided worn rug sewn into a blanket and slippers, rug remnant
80 x 90 x 36"

A worn braided rug was unbraided, pressed, pieced together into fabric & then made into an article of clothing that may have been cut up for the rug. The holes are from the passage of footprints over time, the dirt spots reveal the unhidden surface of the braid.

Wearing / detail of Slippers
2019
unbraided worn rug sewn into a blanket and slippers, rug remnant
80 x 90 x 36"

A worn braided rug was unbraided, pressed, pieced together into fabric & then made into an article of clothing that may have been cut up for the rug. The holes are from the passage of footprints over time, the dirt spots reveal the unhidden surface of the braid.

Wearing / Blanket Detail
2019
unbraided worn rug sewn into a blanket, rug remnant
80 x 90 x 36"

A worn braided rug was unbraided, pressed, pieced together into fabric & then made into an article of clothing that may have been cut up for the rug. The holes are from the passage of footprints over time, the dirt spots reveal the unhidden surface of the braid.

Wearing / Blanket Detail
2019
unbraided worn rug sewn into a blanket, rug remnant
80 x 90 x 36"

A worn braided rug was unbraided, pressed, pieced together into fabric & then made into an article of clothing that may have been cut up for the rug. The holes are from the passage of footprints over time, the dirt spots reveal the unhidden surface of the braid.

Wearing / Night Shirt
2019
unbraided worn rug sewn into a night shirt, rug remnant, ironing board
40 x 42 x 38"

A worn braided rug was unbraided, pressed, pieced together into fabric & then made into an article of clothing that may have been cut up for the rug. The holes are from the passage of footprints over time, the dirt spots reveal the unhidden surface of the braid.

Wearing / Jacket
2019
unbraided worn rug sewn into a coat, rug remnant
30 x 34 plus rug remnant

A worn braided rug was unbraided, pressed, pieced together into fabric & then made into an article of clothing that may have been cut up for the rug. The holes are from the passage of footprints over time, the dirt spots reveal the unhidden surface of the braid.

Wearing / Jacket, detail
2019
unbraided worn rug sewn into a coat, rug remnant

A worn braided rug was unbraided, pressed, pieced together into fabric & then made into an article of clothing that may have been cut up for the rug. The holes are from the passage of footprints over time, the dirt spots reveal the unhidden surface of the braid.

Wearing / detail of Curtains for VCCA
2019
unbraided worn rug sewn into curtains, rug remnant
78 x 48 x 22 inches

A worn braided rug was unbraided, pressed, pieced together into fabric & then made into an article of clothing that may have been cut up for the rug. The holes are from the passage of footprints over time, the dirt spots reveal the unhidden surface of the braid.

Wearing / detail of Curtains for VCCA
2019
unbraided worn rug sewn into curtains, rug remnant
78 x 48 x 22 inches

A worn braided rug was unbraided, pressed, pieced together into fabric & then made into an article of clothing that may have been cut up for the rug. The holes are from the passage of footprints over time, the dirt spots reveal the unhidden surface of the braid.

Wearing / Red Striped Shirt
2019
unbraided worn rug sewn into a shirt, rug remnant
30 x 36 x 2 inches

A worn braided rug was unbraided, pressed, pieced together into fabric & then made into an article of clothing that may have been cut up for the rug. The holes are from the passage of footprints over time, the dirt spots reveal the unhidden surface of the braid.

Detail of fabric made from unbraided rug, pieced together
2019
unbraided worn rug, pressed, pieced and sewn into fabric

An worn braided rug was unbraided, pressed, pieced together into fabric & then made into an article of clothing that may have been cut up for the rug. The holes are from the passage of footprints over time, the dirt spots reveal the unhidden surface of the braid.

Wearing / detail of unbraided braided rug
2019
unbraided worn rug, pressed, pieced and sewn into fabric

A worn braided rug was unbraided, pressed, pieced together into fabric. The holes are from the passage of footprints over time, the dirt spots reveal the unhidden surface of the braid. Much of the fabric was never stepped on, due to the braiding process, so some really surprising patterns and vivid colors emerge!

Wearing / Stockings
2019
unbraided worn rug, pressed, pieced and sewn into fabric
40 x 27 x 1 inches

This rug was mostly synthetic fabrics, so I felt stockings could have been shredded to make it.