Beyond the Series
Junk Mail
Artwork Details
Technique: Constructed Textile using recycled paper
Dimensions: 40" wide x 28" high
Collection: Beyond the Series
Availability: Ready to hang fiber art
Sometimes an idea begins with a challenge.
I created Junk Mail in response to a call for entries for artwork made from recycled materials. Rather than simply using recycled paper, I wondered whether I could create an entirely new textile from it.
Instead of fabric and yarn, I used shredded junk mail. Layer by layer, the paper was sandwiched between sheets of water-soluble stabilizer and stitched together to form a new material. The finished piece became a giant envelope made from junk mail and filled with even more junk mail.
To emphasize the idea of something valuable hidden inside something ordinary, I stitched the entire piece with gold metallic thread. In hindsight, that may not have been my wisest decision! Metallic thread is notoriously temperamental, and sewing through layers of paper made the project especially demanding. Even using a heavy-duty needle, I broke more than a dozen needles before the piece was finished.
Although Junk Mail wasn't selected for the exhibition, the experiment was worthwhile. It expanded my exploration of constructed textiles and proved that almost any material can become fabric with enough imagination—and enough stitches.