Boyville (by Sears and Roebuck)

Techniques and materials: Pieced, quilted, and appliquéd; deconstructed hand-me-down coveralls size 8 circa 1960, Japanese cotton yukata lining, cotton handkerchief, denim; hand stitching.

Artwork Statement: As my mother’s health declined, she became more and more concerned about what would happen to all of the treasures she has accumulated during her long and mostly happy life. Being the sole remaining survivor who knew (at least most) of the stories she associated with various objects in her collection, I promised that I would be the one to sort through the contents of her house when the time came. Inevitably, that time arrived. The initial part of the process took about two weeks of sorting, although some of the of the more time consuming work remains. Regardless and as promised, I made sure that the most important heirlooms were passed to those who might enjoy them the most and, at least in some cases, pass them on to future generations.

Among other things, my mother was a “keeper.” If an object, article of clothing, or memento belonged to someone she loved and it came into her possession, she kept it. Among her treasures were articles of clothing that belonged to her sons. Luckily, she had pinned hand written labels to some of the items before storing them. Hand-me-down clothes were a constant in the lives of farm kids during that era, perhaps they still are. Boyville features what remains of a well-worn pair of coveralls that undoubtedly protected, in turn, each of her four of boys. Coincidentally, as I began the monumental (and as yet unfinished) task of sorting through her massive collection of snapshots, I discovered an image of one of the 4 brothers (namely me) wearing said garment before they eventually wore out!

Purchase inquiries welcome!