Modern Art Notes tipped us off to a cool project by artist Robert Fontenot. When the Los Angeles County Museum of Art deaccessioned (fancy art word for “got rid of so they could spend money on new stuff”) several items from its costume and textiles collection, Fontenot purchased about 60 of the items at auction. He is now taking each one apart to create something new, and blogging about the project at Recycle LACMA. Our favorite of the lot are the Guatemalan trousers he turned into teddy bears.
For each item, Fontenot details its auction specifics and incorporates the auction number into the recreation, meaning that “his work is rooted in institutional critique,” as Modern Art Notes points out. Other items include a witch’s hat made from a black silk dress and BBQ aprons out of a Korean skirt. Fontenot might be angling for a show of his own, but for now, he still has about 40 more items to re-envision.
Watch for the project on LACMA’s blog tomorrow.