ALTERATIONS, 1999

Fabric (pants scraps) and wax
2 ft h x 12 ft w x 12 ft d
Permanent Collection of Rose Art Museum, MA

Jean Shin: Alterations

In Alterations, a colorful and dense cityscape is constructed of hundreds of cylindrical forms made from the leftover fabric of shortened pants and blue jeans. The standing heights of each wax-stiffened cuff represent the measurement of the body in absence. The installation comments on one’s failure to measure up to the fashion industry’s standard size. At the same time, the cast-off cuffs refer to a population—predominantly Asian immigrants—who make up a large portion of the clothing industry’s workforce, including sweat-shop seamstresses, tailors and dry-cleaners.

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