American artist Derick Melander creates striking bold textile sculptures that resonate with all age groups. His work didn’t begin with an ecological starting point, but unwanted clothing became his medium and now his  ‘clothing sculptures explore the intersection between global consumerism and the intimate relationship we have with what we wear.” 

Firstly, where did you grow up and where do you live now?

I grew up in a tiny hamlet called Malta Ridge, New York, in the foothills of The Adirondack Mountains. After high school I moved to NYC where I lived for 30 years. Now I live in a tiny hamlet called Callicoon Center, New York, in the foothills of The Catskill Mountains. 

What is your background in textiles?

I don’t actually have a background in textiles. I worked blue collar and service jobs as a young man and then went to a trade school for radio and television. Later, I attended the School of Visual Arts for sculpture and got my BFA. While there, I made idea-driven work, so in terms of materials, I was all over the place. 

I first started working with second-hand clothing in 2000. I was working with metal suitcases and struggling to find a way to display them. I decided to make “pedestals” for the suitcases out of folded and stacked second-hand clothing. The more I worked with the clothing, the more interesting it became and within a year or two, I let the clothing take over. I have not looked back since. One of those works is here: https://derickmelander.com/clothing-sculpture-all-works/suspension-4-2002/

What is it about textiles as an art form that appeals to you?

I find secondhand clothing to be an emotionally resonant material. As It’s worn, It becomes a part of us. In addition, it’s fun to work with and I love the endless variety of styles, textures, and colors. As a bonus, it’s easy to acquire. 

What techniques do you use?

I love your list of categories found here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C0WiPcKoNJq/?hl=en&img_index=3 I fit squarely in the last one: Textile Sculpture. Mostly what I do is sort, fold and stack. Lately I have been experimenting with cutting the garments into strips and stapling them to wood. 

How do you describe your work?

Creating art with second-hand clothing for over 20 years, I’ve come across countless hand-sewn repairs, pants with threadbare knees and coats with names written inside the collar. These traces of life have led me to think of my works as collective portraits. As the sculptures grow and the layers of clothing accumulate, the individual garments are compressed into a single mass. This symbolic gesture explores the complicated space between the individual and society, a space that is ceaselessly broken and reconstituted.

Why is the environmental aspect of your art so important to you?

I didn’t begin this body of work to raise awareness about textile waste, but I am an ecology-minded person, so it eventually found its way into the work. Knowing first-hand, how much unwanted clothing exists in the world is staggering. Trying to educate about ecology, while pursuing the more spiritual and aesthetic aspects of my work feels natural and inevitable. 

How do you create a piece?

Once I decide to make something, I typically start with some quick hand-sketches. I tend to use scrap paper so I can focus on the ideas, not the results. After I take that as far as I can, I move to my laptop where I use Illustrator, Photoshop and Sketch-Up to flesh things out. Then I just jump in and try to build it, refining and revising by trial and error. 

I know this is a hard question but how long does a bigger piece take?

With bigger works, there is a lot of planning, and lots of back and forth with people like city officials, conservators, curators, architects, fire wardens, engineers, textile recycling companies, the media.. When it comes to the fabrication, I often work with teams of six to twelve people who I train, manage and work with side-by-side. Collaborating is really enjoyable for me and part of why I love to be an artist. I get to meet so many interesting people. If the project is super complicated, sometimes I make a model, to get everyone on the same page. I’d say from start to finish, it’s typically six months to a year, depending. The work ebbs and flows but it’s always a pressure cooker in the end.  

What is your proudest career moment to date?

In 2015, I created a site-specific work for the Museum Rijswijk in The Hague, The Netherlands. For this show, I made a clothing sculpture incorporating the antique furniture and effects displayed in an 18th century period room. It was a super complicated project, with a tight deadline, but I love the way it came out. The work honored the past and brought it into the present. Also, the curator and the staff were great and I got to spend three weeks in The Netherlands.  https://derickmelander.com/clothing-sculpture-all-works/tollens-2015/

Do you have any advice for aspiring textile artists?

1.) Embrace opportunities to show your work. Deadlines are magic because they force us to make decisions and get shit done. In addition, showing leads to more showing. 2.) Only work with people you like and respect. 3.) Never release anything into the world you don’t love, but remember that perfection is the enemy of creativity. 4.) Show up and do the work. Get into a regular cadence with your work and career. 5.) Don’t compete with other artists. Life as an artist can be pretty hard. We need each other. 

https://www.instagram.com/derickmelander/

 https://derickmelander.com/contact/