“The Change": When Textile Art Comes Alive
A collaborative performance that transformed 30 pounds of fiber into pure magic
Reflecting on the one-of-a-kind performance with On Beyond, a Bay Area collective art group, during the opening reception of the "I Can't Go On, I'll Go On" exhibition, curated by Rena Tom at 120710 Gallery in Berkeley, California. In this issue, I'll share how this opportunity came about, how the idea of collaborating with a dancer developed and was realized, the behind-the-scenes work with On Beyond, and how everything came together—both the installation and dance performance — during the exhibition opening reception.
People completes art
I believe in interaction with art. As a textile upcycling artist, this means tactile interaction. When people interact with my textile art, everyone present experiences it to the fullest.
This experience is not always possible with everything that I created. However, the Gathered Cloths project has a baked-in iterative process that has allowed me to explore this interactive aspect, and the possibilities grow bigger with each iteration.
What is Gathered Cloths project?
“Gathered Cloths” is an iterative project made exclusively from sewing remnants I started in 2021 to showcase textile circularity at an individual level. It involves a repeating process of sewing strips of ruffles onto a base cloth, gathering and assembling them modularly into an object, and disassembling them back into ruffled cloths.
The first iteration has 7 ruffled cloths, assembled into a waist corset. The 10th iteration has 134 ruffled cloths assembled into a dance costume that weighs 30 pounds. (I’ll share more about this iteration in this issue.) It has been showcased in Climate Week events in San Francisco and New York City, as well as workshops and fashion shows.
Since the project’s conception in 2021, the experience of people wearing and expressing themselves in Gathered Cloths has been something I pursue subconsciously, creating joyous occasions that spread way beyond the confines of an artist and its creation.
Joining a Group Exhibition
The Remake’s Walk Your Values fashion show, during which I divided 133 ruffled cloths into 8 outfits, was such a fun experience. That was the first time I showcased Gathered Cloths together with my more permanent upcycled creations.
Almost immediately afterwards, I thought to myself, “What if ALL pieces are united once more into a single outfit, and have someone dance in it?”
And as my luck has it, I recently got connected to Rena Tom, who’s in the middle of curating her first exhibition in 8 years. Rena conducted a book club meeting my neighbor (the insanely talented crafter and potter Lara Head) and I were a part of, and she mentioned that she’s curating an exhibition around the topic of “to sustain” during one meetup’s break time.
Excited, I showed her the Gathered Cloths coat that Fely wore during the Remake fashion show during the next meeting, and told her more about how this project and her exhibition topic align really well.
Long story short, she said yes, and the final title of the exhibition is “I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On.” As Rena describes,
I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On borrows its name from a phrase about perseverance by Samuel Beckett. Whether exploring legacies of the past that are carried into the present, showcasing different flavors of sustenance, or reimagining social frameworks that can reshape the future, the artists in the exhibition recognize the importance of nurturing a collective web of support as well as acknowledging how one is situated in the world.
To sustain is not just to exist, but to resonate through time. In our current economic, political, and ecological climate, this work is more necessary than ever.
As of this newsletter’s publication time, the exhibition is still going on at 120710 Gallery in Berkeley, California. The gallery is open MWF 12-6pm by appointment, or Saturday 12-4pm. Come check out the works of 21 Bay Area artists in-person when you are able!
Dancing in Gathered Cloths
From the get-go, I asked Rena if it’s possible to incorporate a dancing element into my participation.
“Would there be an occasion for a dance performance?“
“Do you know any dancers that would be interested in being weighed down with Gathered Cloths?”
And that’s how Rena connected me with Sydney Lozier (she/they) and Zach Fish (they/them) of On Beyond. They are an art collective, whose “members have all worked together in creative, performance, and educational contexts for many years. / In the wake of several local theater company closures, we have chosen to form a collective in 2024 to keep innovative, independent theater alive - with an eye towards building new financial and performance models that are innovative and sustainable in today’s economic and cultural climate.” (Source: On Beyond’s About page.)
So we arranged a time to meet. During the introduction chat, Sydney tried on the coat (assembled from 24 ruffled cloths, weighing about 8 pounds), we all got intrigued and excited to craft this collaboration together.
As it turns out, Sydney and Zach were working on a new piece called “The Change.” Zach tells a captivating story about the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly while Sydney dances underneath a tubular piece of diaphanous fabric and Walker Staples (they/them) plays a guitar accompaniment.
I got to see the debut of “The Change” one afternoon, and immediately realized how lucky I am to be connected with such a group of passionate artists. Zach’s story spellbound the audience, Sydney’s movements were like gentle weaving through fabric and air, and Walker’s music completed the story in a holistic focus.
Together, we went back to Rena about creating a special performance of “The Change” during the opening reception as a collaboration between On Beyond and myself, and the costume is to be draped on a dress form for the rest of the exhibition period.
Crafting The Costume
After watching On Beyond’s debut performance of “The Change,” I had a couple of ideas for Sydney’s costume, modularly assembled with all available pieces of Gathered Cloths. One looked more like a cocoon, whereas the other looked closer to a half sweater / jacket with an extended train.
On Beyond opted for the second option, and the work to construct the costume began!
Rehearsals & Iterations
We had a limited time to meet and rehearse, and we made do with however much time we had. I hesitated to construct the full costume at first. It was really heavy and I wasn’t sure if Sydney would still be on board with it, so the first rehearsal was done with a partial construct.
For the second and last group rehearsal, I almost ran out of time to construct the full costume. The whole thing was spread out on the floor and it was overwhelming, to say the least.
But I kept breathing and tried to stay as calm as possible, and the costume was finally finished. Laid flat, the assembly measures 140” x 153” (355.6 m x 388.62 cm).
The Installation
Two days before the exhibition opened, I came to 120710 Gallery to install my Gathered Cloths piece, draping the whole assembly on a dress form. By that time, Sydney had been getting used to and rehearsing with the 30-pound costume for a week.
Some ruffled cloth parts had to be shed from the costume and wouldn’t be used as part of the performance. And that’s awesome, because I had enough ruffled cloth pieces to drape a mini dress on the dress form. That way, when the costume was used for “The Change” performance, the mini dress could still represent Gathered Cloths in the gallery.
When I was done with the installation, the 10th iteration of Gathered Cloths, an ensemble of a mini dress and an oversized half-sweater / coat with a royal train, made with 134 ruffled cloths, stood before me.
The Performance
All the excitement culminated towards “I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On” opening reception. Rena, Sydney, Animal (On Beyond’s photographer), and I arrived a little early for the final rehearsal. It was quiet and contemplative, a mood that’s reserved only for those present.
A couple of hours later, the opening reception began. The gallery was full of people all the time, non-stop from 4 to 8 pm. What a privilege to be included amongst this group of artists, and what a thrill to see and observe everyone’s creations up close.
By the time 6pm struck, people were ready. It’s time, and what a glorious time it was. Thankfully, my friend Na Li recorded the whole thing! Check out the recording of the collaborative performance, featuring On Beyond’s Sydney (dancer), Walker (guitarist), and Benjamin (narrator).
After the show, I returned the costume to the dress form, but not before asking if gallery visitors would like to try them on. Of course they did! I posted some compiled footage on Instagram to commemorate the special moments.
So that’s what happened! As of this newsletter’s publication time, the exhibition is still going on at 120710 Gallery in Berkeley, California. The gallery is open MWF 12-6pm by appointment, or Saturday 12-4pm. So come check out I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On exhibition while it’s still on view!
Thank you On Beyond once again for collaborating with me for this special “The Change” performance, and for curator Rena Tom for connecting us and orchestrating this exhibition. What a thrill, and what an honor.
Already, ideas of future crafted objects and collaborations are swirling around in my head, waiting to materialize.
Thanks for reading; until next time,
Mira Musank