MEMORIAL
(2001-ONGOING)
This work explores the temporal and fragile nature of human existence and the link between memory and experience. From found and donated articles of clothing, Brucker creates simple memorials from the shirts, dresses, pants, skirts, undergarments, sheets, and blankets one leaves behind when one moves or dies. These relics are reminders that clothing becomes skin. They are meditations on the poetry of detail and are records of the delicacy of life.
Memorial Project started when Brucker crafted a small canvas from her late father’s favorite shirt to create a private remembrance piece for her mother. When her mother’s friends visited the house and saw it, they too recognized the shirt as belonging to her father. Each of the women visitors then sent the artist a similar article of clothing, and Brucker made each of them a small canvas the same size and shape as the one made in memory of her father. The artist is still receiving articles of clothing to be included in Memorial Project. Participants enjoy the idea that their own memorial piece is presented in harmony with others—together creating a chorus of memories. In 2018 there were over 300 pieces in the project collection exhibited at Long Beach Museum of Art. Photo credits: Brian Forrest (Memorial Project); Gene Ogami (Memorial Project at Laband Gallery); Kosta Potaminanos (Memorial Duet).
STORIES FROM MEMORIAL
Jane Brucker is now compiling the stories associated with the articles of clothing that were donated to her ongoing work, Memorial Project (2001-present). These accounts will live in a digital archive entitled Memorial Stories. During the 20 years that Brucker has been working on the project, stories frequently accompanied the donated clothing. “When someone would give me or send me a shirt, dress, or scarf worn by a recently passed loved one, they would tell me the story of either that particular garment and/or of the person that they remembered,” Brucker said. "The memories and individual attributes that were shared felt poignant and compelling. Often when people sent me the clothing items, they included explanatory notes pinned to the fabric. These narratives told in the words of the sender have always seemed as if they should be part of the larger piece."
The following story was told to the artist by Cynthia Thompson, 2003.
Nina was kind to my brother and I. She did not have children of her own and I imagine that was sad for her. She had a dachshund dog, "Toby,” that she doted on. I remember her as being very glamorous, and she wore designer clothes. She was petite, and met her husband when she was a swimsuit model. I fit in her clothes to give you an idea of her height, but I imagine she was even slimmer when she was younger. She was very blonde with bright blue eyes and a European accent. This was her jacket.
If you are interested in sharing the story of a garment that you have given to Brucker in the past as part of Memorial Project, please click below.
Nina’s Story (b. 1939 - d. 1991), 9 x 7 x 1.5”
MEMORIAL WHITE
In 2005 Brucker’s mother died of a cancer that was particularly disfiguring. Brucker spent the last six months of her mother’s life caretaking her. Her mother’s closet was filled with white shirts of many styles. Those shirts and blouses, along with several wedding dresses that had been given to Brucker for the project became the basis for a select set of memorial panels. In her solo exhibition in 2005 at Newspace Gallery, Brucker selected only these 88 white panels to invoke a sense of calm after her mother’s passing.
MEMORIAL DUET
Memorial Duet was performed with choreographer Scott Heinzerling at Brand Library Galleries in Glendale, California. Using clothing selected from Memorial Project, the duet used prosaic movement to create an additional layer that contributed to the work’s narrative. The two shirts resting on pedestals symbolized the transformation of ordinary clothing into commemorative artifacts.
