Working with paper as a sculptural medium is as challenging as it is fascinating. While possessing similar attributes to fabric, it also has qualities that require extreme care. Tea bags are a perfect example of this dichotomy. These sturdy pockets, that are folded so neatly enclosing loose tea, can withstand being submersed in very hot water and tightly squeezed to extract the last bit of the brewed tea. When the dried contents are removed and the bags opened and pressed flat, separated from it's purpose, it takes on an ephemeral quality of great fragility. This is when the lowly tea bag is most beautiful. Like the rust stain an errant piece of metal leaves on a surface, the tea stains on the fiber have an organic beauty that originates from the process of brewing a cup of tea and cannot be replicated.
The Tea Bag Dress was made from thousands of spent tea bags, their contents removed, pressed and configured into fabric. These tea bags were from brewed cups of tea consumed over a four year period. I had no idea what I would do with the empty bags as the pile of them grew, I only knew I did not want them in my compost bin. I read that these innocuous little tea bags were actually made with plant fibers and polymers, something I didn't want my worms to consume. But there is that little issue of convenience so I continued to use the handy little tea bags for my tea but used the cold brew method which may or may not alleviate the problem but gave me some modicum of hope that I was not poisoning myself. I am trying to transition to loose tea which eliminates the worry and the raw materials for future tea bag projects!
Though the beauty of the stained paper was the impetus for this project, what remains of interest to me is the process of creating the "fabric" by folding and fusing. Could I replicate this process with woven fabric, sewing instead of fusing each triangle to create a more permanent and wearable garment? This may be the next recomposed project on my table.
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