After Work – Steph Yates

What happens to our work clothes when we stop working? What happens to ourselves? This piece begins with a wool skirt and a lambswool jumper. Once belonging to a medical secretary, their timeless design and reliable quality made them a staple of her working wardrobe. Now, no longer needed for work, they have been transformed using fabric manipulation, reverse appliqué and hand embroidery.
This artwork seeks to highlight and explore the transformation many people experience in retirement. Freed from the constraints of work, retirees frequently discover, or rediscover their creativity, finding joy and expression through art, music or writing. In creating this piece I was led by the textures and properties of the fabrics. The softness of the lambswool jumper invited gentle folds while its tight knit structure, partially felted by frequent washing, allowed me to cut away areas to reveal the skirt beneath. The subtle lines woven into the skirt informed the colours for the embroidery.
The contrast between the polyester lining and the wool fabrics is used to frame each cut away, reminiscent of the South American mola technique. One area across the front of the skirt lining was creased and crinkled by many hours of sitting at a desk. These creases, set by the women’s body heat, had become permanent. Rather than attempt to press them flat, I kept the creases, allowing them to shimmer and reflect the light. This most intimate detail becomes, perhaps, the focal point of the transformation from work wear to creative expression.