What happens when art ceases becoming art? Or more accurately, when the Los Angeles County Museum of Art decides to get rid of a whole bunch of items from its costumes and textiles collection? In January, LACMA deaccessioned more than 100 items — and L.A.-based artist Robert Fontenot decided to buy more than 50 of them. Now, he’s blogging his effort to find new uses for these old items.
That blog’s Recycle LACMA (via everydaytrash). And once I got done wondering why so many of these deaccessioned items were Korean, I started really getting into the site. Each post highlights a deaccessioned item — with a photo, description, and an Accession Number — and the new item it’s been transformed into. A skirt’s turned into pretty aprons, trousers into teddy bears, a coat into a kite.
Robert upcycles more than the once-museum objects themselves. To turn trousers into a sail required a boat for the sail, for example — so “A sail-less boat was found. A mainsail template was drafted by measuring the boom and the mast. A jib template was also drafted. A section of the cotton was joined to a section of the synthetic fabric using a flat-felled seam. Sails were then cut, hemmed, and attached to the boat.”
This project too has its controversy though. Ethical Style, for example, wonders if gorgeous vintage dresses should be taken apart to make something arguably less fashionable. Of course, the fact that vintage fashionistas didn’t snap up the dress at LACMA’s auction tdoes make me think maybe there wasn’t such a huge demand to wear the dress as is.
It’s a bit sad that an object’s one day a museum-worthy work of art, then the next an unwanted old dress. At least the item’s gotten new life as a lacy screen for an antique door.
Images via Recycle LACMA
I had the same question—why so many Korean pieces? I figured LACMA had a really big collection from Korea. But now I’m thinking maybe the Korean pieces were the most colorful and those are the pieces that jumped out at Fontenot at auction.
Leila
Comment by everydaytrash — July 28, 2009 @ 3:49 am
Given that he used what appeared to be a pretty solid Claire McCardell dress to make a (useful?) witch hat, I’m guessing not so many vintage fashionistas were there. In my biz, a McCardell is highly prized even with some minor flaws, and collectible even with major flaws. I can think of a few clients who would have loved that dress……
Ang
Comment by Ang — July 28, 2009 @ 5:02 pm
Yeah — I don’t know enough about vintage pieces to be as outraged as the people who do. But I do wonder why these people who’re so angry now weren’t at the LACMA auction itself (or if they were, why they didn’t bid higher for them)….
Comment by Siel — August 4, 2009 @ 6:28 pm