She Doesn't Know Its Shape, textile, run of ten.

Perhaps you are able to conjure up the geo-political boundaries of Iraq—that is, how it appears on a world map. The chances of recognition are greater now then ever... recognition through bombing…knowledge via invasion. But still, I find there are many who do not know Iraq's shape: "Texas? Alaska? Somewhere in Africa?" is a common response when faced with its unlabeled perimeters. Strangely, we are for and against actions in places we cannot recognize.

What if this instance of blindness, this place of not knowing is a lush opportunity to instigate dialogue? Dialogue, because our internal and eternal monologues about this war eventually numb, shrink, and deaden our ability to speak. And act. And what of a dialogue that temporarily abandons words in favor of the starkly visual? And what of spoken words trailing the visual, transforming abstractions into solid places and flesh and breath interaction?

This simple geo-political garment was created in collaboration with a tailor shop on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The boundaries of Iraq have been stitched on to the front of formal clothing (read: not t-shirts). There are no accompanying slogans or data. The image is roughly 7 by 5 inches and the color of the thread is dependent on the color of the shirt.

Despite the availability and cost effectiveness of t-shirts, they are already too much of the fashion vernacular of protest. A more formal selection undermines common assumptions about how we design for protest and how we dress to communicate. This element of surprise allows me to imagine that an outline of Iraq could potentially surface on any garment on any body in the crowd, a textile apparition, a geo-political ghost made material.

[Ultimately ten were made, ranging from a baby's 'onesie' to a man's sweater vest. By now, people recognize the shape of Iraq and it is a lttle awkward to wear these clothes. At this point, the meaning of the shape, or rather, the reason for wearing it, becomes more unclear to the wearer.]