Valerie Pitzen

Description of Work

Death by Textiles - Misprinted t-shirts, Screenprinting ink, Eco-friendly packaging, Vinyl, Sticker paper, Wood, Canvas

See deathbytextiles.com for purchase

Artist's Statement

Death by Textiles

Throwing away clothing and other textiles combined with increases in production releases a multitude of toxins such as methane into our environment. It is a contributor to climate change, which in turn has an effect on ecosystems and endangered species.

While conducting research on textile waste I coincidentally began a position at an apparel/screenprint company. Soon after, feelings of guilt and discouragement arose from observing and participating in wasteful practices of discarded materials from printing mistakes. How could this waste be transformed from wasted fabrics into something useable? This work presents a hope for new practice of reimagining “ruined” garments into reusable items that would otherwise be used as rags and thrown into the trash. The concept of this work allows for new products through the use of an alternate design integrating mistakes. The plants and animal species that are depicted on the shirts represent endangered species, due to climate change. These new images were placed over top mistakes on the original shirt. One would never know…

These shirts are for sale, and profits will go to Fashion Revolution, an organization aimed at supporting sustainable fashion practices.