Re-use and Repair or Upcycle?

I was participating at our local Maidstone Repair Cafe early in September demonstrating my approach to the art Visible Mending - the art of repairing damaged textiles— torn jeans, moth-eaten sweaters—by highlighting the fix with creative, contrasting stitches or patches rather. I am one of many people who engage with the grand tradition of repairing rather than throwing things away and am familiar with other makers who make the re-use of materials central to their practice.

This aspect of re-use has been embedded into my life since childhood from the pass-me-down clothing from older siblings to my preference for finding durable garments to wear in charity shops and other places today. The trousers I am wearing are a pair of Monpe  I found at a flea market in Kyoto  40 years ago woven (Kurume-kasuri,is an Ikat textile technique that originated in the Kurume region known for its intricate and distinct patterns achieved through a complex process of resist-dyeing and weaving.)  

In the many discussions I had during the day I was asked why I found the  term "upcycle" sometimes feel  bothersome to me. The core idea—turning waste into something of useful and of more value—is positive, I cannot help feeling however, the word itself has gathered significant social and cultural baggage since it entered mainstream vocabulary and I am bothered by aspects in this 'rebranding' of the terms 'reuse and repair' carrying a sense of 'linguistic pretentiousness', and perhaps even class and cultural insensitivity about the generations of low-income families, migrants, and indigenous communities who have mended clothes, reused containers, and repaired broken furniture out of absolute necessity.  When the need to repair become adopted by 'wealthier; demographics, the term "upcycling." feels like a rebranded trendy, buzzword.  Whilst I would always argue that we all need to be more aware of consumption and the global implications on the environment, and I applaud anyone who makes the effort to do more by consuming less, my irritation stems from seeing practices born out of thrift and poverty suddenly repackaged as a premium, eco-chic lifestyle choice that often comes with a higher price tag.
At worst, the word is frequently co-opted by corporations to make consumers feel better about purchasing new items. Fast-fashion brands  might use a tiny percentage of recycled fabric, slap the word "upcycled" on the label, and use it to justify a higher price or mask overall wasteful practices- a cynical corporate 'Greenwashing'.  

While listening to Radio 4 Women's Hour earlier in the week Journalist Tansy Hoskins talk about her 4 year investigation into textile waste in her new book Charity Shop World she reveals how charity shops are becoming a 'dumping ground' for poorly made clothes which have become part of the chain leading to them being disposed of into land-fill globally. (Having said that, a man bringing in his tent for repair from by one of the many fabulous textile specialists in the team was certainly a small counter to the many cheaply made tents being dumped at this year's festivals.)

The question of repair and reuse as part of my practice made me to think about how we use words to describe things and why I find it a challenge when I see the term used to describe my work. It feels like a form of 'Linguistic Elitism':by labelling something as upcycled, it subtly implies that basic recycling, repairing, or simply using things until they wear out is an inferior form of environmentalism.The term became heavily associated with a specific mid-2010s internet aesthetic often utlised on Pintrest where 'upcycled' still conjures up images of poorly painted painted antique furniture, or scraps of cloth sewn onto luxury items. This oversaturation led to something  that felt like a forced aesthetic which even today makes my eyes roll when hearing it's use

That is me. Whatever you choose to call reusing and repairing things...it should not really matter...should it ?Just do it.

Talking or repair and reuse in my work, other things to mention this September. 

I am exhibiting with Art Textiles Made in Britain Flight at Queen Street Gallery Neath 5-25th September. Featured below is a detail of my work 'Time Flies'. It is made with vintage Japanese silk, waste paper, thread, machine and hand stitch

 

I have always found at this time of year a need to pause and remember.Five years ago early September that my life partner Derek survived a catastrophic stroke. It changed our lives forever, and in our adaptation, we are still learning. September also 11 marks the 25 Anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks and my father's last birthday. 

As we enter the Autumn and I do the jobs in the garden I learn under Derek's experience, doing the tasks he cannot do and assisting him in the tasks he can do. Using his old, well-worn tools on an almost daily basis I also honour the feel of them in my hands. Equally, I have held on to my father's sign-writing brushes and use them fro fine work. In the act of gardening and making I have the tools for healing.

In this talk with former BBC New reporter Rob Smith, I talk about my work "Memory", exclusively worked with found materials and the role reclaimed materials have in my practice. This work featured in the Storytellers exhibition at the at the Beaney House of Art and Knowledge, Canterbury organised by Nathalie Banaigs