Lily Bennett
Faded Glory, 2023
Bleached Jeans, Steel, Wood, Foam 12ft x 3ft x 3ft
I investigate value systems that are embedded into America’s visual language. The piece titled “Faded Glory” exemplifies my transformation of specific symbols of American power into ruins and relics of an old world. I created a twelve-foot tall crumbling column made out of bleached denim that is based on the Roman classical architectural style used in American government buildings to assert political authority. Blue jeans are a symbol of American fashion, the working class and a shared community. I deconstruct the jeans both physically and conceptually by bleaching, dyeing and blending. I then reconstruct the material into symbols that investigate power, fragility and resistance.
Lily Bennett
Constantine’s Foot, 2023
Blended Clothes, Foam 5ft x 3ft x 7ft
This sculpture is based on the ancient Roman ruin, Colossus of Constantine. At seven feet long and five feet high, my sculpture is the same scale, symbolizing the embedded importance and power. Experimenting with fiber surfaces, I chopped up and blended old clothes leaving buttons, zippers and tags referencing modern clothing brands such as Carhartt and H&M. Through this piece I am bringing together symbols of both the old world and the new world of 2023.
