Sterling Ruby
WORK WEAR: Garment and Textile Archive 2008–2016
March 11–April 9, 2016
London
Sprüth Magers is pleased to present WORK WEAR: Garment and Textile Archive 2008–2016 by gallery artist Sterling Ruby. The exhibition presents for the very first time an eight-year survey of Ruby’s clothing and textile production.
In 2008 the artist designed a basic “work wear” button-down shirt and a pair of jean-style pants to be worn in the studio. Made from the left over scraps from the production of his soft sculptures and quilt projects, the heavyweight denim and canvas uniform quickly became a type of “studio camouflage.” Over the years that pattern has seen an almost ritualistic retelling of the countless textile projects that his studio has overseen. Each time a piece of artwork is finished, a new set of unique one-off garments are made as a conclusion to the project. As a result, the garments are imbued with the precise treatments as the artworks—from the fabrics that are hand-dyed and hand-treated in Ruby’s studio yard to the exotic enzyme washes researched and sourced from LA’s rich garment production industry.
