Amsterdam Denim Days 2020
Don’t be scared, come through and join the Amsterdam Denim Days 2020 ONLINE. All are welcome. Its also free!
Artist Ian Berry joins the line up for Amsterdam Denim Days 2020 as it goes online. Ian Berry was the first name to join the first Amsterdam Denim Days in 2013 and for the debut New York edition in 2017. This edition has a local flavour with friends like Amsterdenim, Kings of Indigo, Benzak and Tenue de Nimes to name just a few presenting. While London based, Ian Berry’s upcoming show will be of course in Holland and not far from Amsterdam - in The Hague at the Museum Rijswijk at the end of November.
You can hear more about this major solo exhibition along with news from the Levi Strauss Museum in Germany - as well as win some prizes by tuning in via zoom on Saturday at 16:00 (15:00 UK) where you will find Ian Berry live in his studio.. surrounded by denim.
The Program of event - Ian Berry at 3pm UK time
Ian Berry now joins the First Edition of Denim Days online. Many events are canceled due to the current global situation, but luckily Denim Days is going online with their denim event. It will be the first time that they will color all screens blue and with Berry be able to talk about an event, that at this moment, is still on and in Holland.
There is an action packed Two days online starting on Friday.
A strong Dutch contingent and initiatives such as Scotch & Soda, Amsterdenim, Kings of Indigo, Sashikodenim, Benzak Denim Developers, Tenue de Nîmes, and Dutch Denim Repair.
But, also international parties are joining as Nobrandedon, Fit & Craft, Bluehanded, Ginew, Blue States Denim, Kaiser Tekstil, Officina+39 and right before Ian Berry, his friend White Weft.
Speakers slated for October 30 include Tencel’s Tricia Carey, denim consultant Sue Barrett, ADD’s Lucel van den Hoeven. On this same day Tencel will also host the “Future Heritage” session.
On October 31, the program is as interesting as it lines up personalities such as Miles Johnson, Wouter Munnichs - who will interview Ian Berry
The Amsterdam Denim Days 2020 event is supported by Tencel - also a great supporter of Ian Berry
Ian Berry will have a Solo Exhibition at the Museum Rijswijk in Holland 2 Dec 2020 to 4 April 2021
Click to sign through to register for FREE
Where
Via Zoom. Register via the link here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sF6x0KxPQTmk_SCih5_MhQ
When
Friday October 30, from 15:00 (CEST) onwards
Saturday October 31, from 15:00 (CEST) onwards
Watch all the event or just join for Ian Berry at 3pm UK time on Saturday!
Ian Berry's installation in San Francisco
Ian Berry’s installation in denim at the San Francisco Flower Mart. Credit: Lawrence Anderson Productions
From the birthplace of Levi Strauss in Germany to the place he made his name
A new permanent installation in San Francisco.
Where
San Francisco Flower Mart
https://www.newsfflowermart.com
Kilroy Innovation Center (temporary location)
660 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94107, United States
Credit: Lawrence Anderson Productions
Intertwining a past to a future
20 meters x 80cm made in Recycled Denim
photos by Lawrence Anderson
A hanging trellis with flowers, leaves, vines, wisteria and chrysanthemums welcomes visitors, but it is no ordinary flora but a dense structure that blooms in blue, indigo blue. Each piece cut from jeans and denim.
Cascading high across the wide-paned windows as a floral curtain, this piece is a solemn and bold reminder of the industrial history of the United States. The denim from this piece was sourced from the last denim mill in the United States, Cone Denim’s, White Oak in Greensboro, North Carolina.
This piece was commissioned for the Kilroy Realty for the Kilroy Innovation Center to pay homage to the blue-collar jobs being preserved by the new San Francisco Flower Mart as well as portray the sustainable credentials and support Kilroy’s commitment to sustainability and art within its developments.
Credit: Lawrence Anderson Productions
click here to see a gallery of images from the San Francisco Flower Mart
Denim has been Ian Berry’s medium for over 15 years and one thing he loves the most about it, is the history though time and its symbolism but also its origins. Representing the Flower Mart in the material famed in the city dating back to the 1870s and the official fabric of California will show that the great new building respects and embraces the city’s heritage.
Of course, it was the immigrant to America, Leob Strauss who emigrated from Buttenheim in Germany to become Levi Strauss and make the garment what it is today. Ian Berry is currently exhibiting in the birth home of Levi in Bavaria starting a tour of his work that takes in many cities across the world.
Credit: Steelblue, LLC
The democratic nature of this famed material is also a mark of this project’s preservation of blue-collared jobs and a bridge between the old and the new in this innovation. And of course, denim transcends all boundaries all over the world and ever since the 1800’s the Flower Mart has been ethnically diverse, and this history should be celebrated.
While the city was built on gold and ‘white gold’ turned to jeans, now San Francisco is a world leader in technological innovation as a key industry as other industries waned. The true leaders know that we have to lead a sustainable future, and Kilroy is at the forefront of this and put simply the up cycled nature of this installation of worn and scraps of denim that pays tribute to its past and builds for a greener future.
Tonello
Blue is also green with Ian’s friend’s at Tonello in Italy, an international leader in the production of garment treatment technologies, developing innovative equipment for the apparel industry. Ian has been working with Tonello for four years now since the Secret Garden in the CMA in New York and their relationship has flourished to make numerous other installations. In Ian’s work normally everything is just worn jeans and scissors, whereas the large-scale installations he turns to Tonello.
With the installation for the new San Francisco Flower Mart, Tonello helped was (with ozone) dozens upon dozens of yards of the Cone denim and laser cut the vines to make the Trellis. Ian travelled to Italy to work with the specialist team in the region also famed for its denim industry
Ian working with the Lazer Blade at Tonello
Alice Tonello, head of marketing and R&D said
"Having the opportunity to work with Ian Berry is always amazing. We are using denim in a different and inspiring way, and it's something that in the industry usually doesn't happen.
When he asked us about this new project, we were so happy and so proud to be part of it. The installation in the San Francisco Flower Mart is an example of how collaborations and friendships can lead to unexpected and surprising results as well as portraying a message in a beautiful way."
Ian Berry saw the San Francisco links to the denim history at the Levi Strauss archive with Tracey Panek.
Credit: Lawrence Anderson Productions
Tracey Panek, Levi Strauss & Co. Historian said
“Since the birth of blue jeans by Levi Strauss & Co.in 1873, denim and Levi’s® have been a foundational part of San Francisco’s history, culture, and political landscape. Denim constituted the working clothes for the builders who erected the city and the engineers who raised its bridges; it was the canvas of self-expression for hippies, the uniform for gay activists, and the business attire of today’s entrepreneurs. Denim will continue to be the common thread in San Francisco’s future fabric and that's why it is great to see it acknowledged in this amazing installation by Ian Berry.”
Kilroy Realty Corporation
Kilroy Realty Corporation
San Francisco Flower Mart
The origins of the San Francisco Flower Mart go back to the late 1800s when flower growers brought their product to Lotta’s Fountain in downtown San Francisco to sell to local flower shops. The need for a centrally-located space to bring together the ethnically-diverse groups of flower growers led to the opening of a market at 5th and Howard Streets in 1924.
In September 1956, the grand opening of the current San Francisco Terminal marked the establishment of an industry icon. As it has for more than a century, the San Francisco Flower Mart continues to witness the evolution of one of America’s greatest cities. Today, there are over 60 wholesalers and purveyors of cut flowers, potted plants, and floral supplies that service the floral industry of the Bay Area and beyond.
Credit: Lawrence Anderson Productions
As the city evolves, the San Francisco Flower Mart Project will keep these timeless businesses in operation. After almost 65 years at 6th and Brannan without any major renovations or updates, Kilroy Realty Corporation is planning to build the Flower Market a brand new, efficient, and environmentally sustainable wholesale marketplace at 901 16th Street in San Francisco’s historic Potrero Hill neighborhood.
As Central SoMa prepares for major growth and reshaping into a vibrant, transit-oriented neighborhood, Kilroy will lead the historic San Francisco Flower Mart site at 6th and Brannan into its new role as the focal point of a dynamic, mixed-use space that offers a unique take on the urban lifestyle.
Kilroy Realty Corporation
Once the development is complete, the installation will move in from the Kilroy Innovation Center. More information about San Francisco Flower Mart may be found online at www.newsfflowermart.com.
Ian Berry. Splendid Isolation. Museum Rijswijk, The Netherlands
Ian Berry. Splendid Isolation
Paintings and installations made of denim
December 2, 2020 - April 4, 2021
British artist Ian Berry (Huddersfield, 1984) has been creating virtuoso figurative paintings and installations from denim for over 15 years. He uses old and discarded jeans, which he cuts into pieces and sorts them according to colour, in the same way that a painter juxtaposes the successive shades of a colour. At first glance the work seems two-dimensional, but up close, you can see how the different layers of denim are placed on top of and over each other. The paintings are collages of denim that are so perfectly put together that it is almost indistinguishable from a realistic painting.Ian Berry also makes three-dimensional installations of denim such as the work Secret Garden (2018) and Record Store (2017), which have already been shown at museums on different continents.
Ian Berry. Splendid Isolation is the artist's first solo exhibition in the Netherlands. There is a generous choice to see from the different series he has made over the past 15 years, such as Behind Closed Doors, Hotel California and The American Jean. Record Store, a complete record store made of denim, will also be on display but displayed within a home scene reflecting the year.
Ian Berry is a socially engaged artist. His work responds to recent developments in society. His work is not only made of denim because he likes the material, but can be linked to jeans being one of the most polluting as part of textile industry and his recycling draws attention. Ian Berry was named one of the 50 most influential people in the denim industry in 2019 and a top 30 artist under 30 by Art Business News.
The Corona pandemic is an important topic in his most recent work. His clapping project is an animated denim projection of clapping hands to thank the medical sector for their commitment to Covid-19 and to all people for coping with the lockdown. This project has been projected onto buildings throughout Great Britain, Ireland and over a dozen other countries including the United States. The animation is also part of the exhibition in Museum Rijswijk where you can see a small documentary of the journey and story.
Following the lockdown in Great Britain, Ian Berry started the Behind Closed Doors photo project through his website. He has called on professionals and amateursphotographers to make a photo about what the lockdown means to them personally. A selection of the photos will be included in print or projected in the exhibition.
A catalogue will accompany the exhibition, which is available in the Museum Shop.
For more information, please contact Diana Wind, curator of contemporary art, dianawind(at)museumrijswijk.nl, telephone +31(0)630388366.
Museum Rijswijk Herenstraat 67, 2282 BR Rijswijk, Netherlands
Ian Berry. Splendid Isolation
Schilderijen en installaties gemaakt van denim
29 november 2020 – 4 april 2021
De Britse kunstenaar Ian Berry (Huddersfield, 1984) maakt al ruim 15 jaar virtuoze figuratieve schilderijen en installaties van denim. Hij gebruikt oude en afgedankte spijkerbroeken die hij in stukjes knipt en op kleurschakering sorteert zoals een schilder de opeenvolgende tinten van een kleur verf naast elkaar plaatst. In eerste instantie lijkt het werk tweedimensionaal, maar wanneer je er dicht bij staat, is te zien hoe de verschillende lagen denim op en over elkaar heen zijn geplaatst. De schilderijen zijn collages van denim die zo perfect in elkaar gezet zijn dat het bijna niet te onderscheiden is van een realistisch schilderij.
Ian Berry maakt ook driedimensionale installaties van denim zoals het werk Secret Garden (2018) en Record Store(2017) die al op verschillende continenten bij musea te zien zijn geweest.
Ian Berry. Splendid Isolation is de eerste solotentoonstelling van de kunstenaar in Nederland. Er is een royale keuze te zien uit de verschillende series die hij in de afgelopen 15 jaar heeft gemaakt zoals, Behind Closed Doors, Hotel California en The American Jean. Ook zullen verschillende installaties te zien zijn.
Ian Berry is een maatschappelijk geëngageerd kunstenaar. Hij speelt met zijn werk in op recente ontwikkelingen in de maatschappij. Zijn werk is niet alleen van denim gemaakt omdat het materiaal hem aan staat, maar ook omdat de textielindustrie een van de meest vervuilende industrieën is. Met zijn werk vraagt hij daar aandacht voor. Ian Berry is in 2019 uitgeroepen tot een van de 50 meest invloedrijke mensen op het gebied van de denimindustrie.
De Corona pandemie is een belangrijk onderwerp in zijn meest recente werk. Het project clapping is een geanimeerde denimprojectie van klappende handen om de medische sector te bedanken voor hun inzet tegen Covid-19. Dit project is door heel Groot-Brittannië en in de Verenigde Staten geprojecteerd op gebouwen. De animatie maakt ook deel uit van de tentoonstelling in Museum Rijswijk.
Naar aanleiding van de lockdown in Groot-Brittannië is Ian Berry het internationale fotoproject Behind Closed Doorsgestart via zijn website. Hij heeft professionals en amateurs opgeroepen een foto in te sturen die laat zien wat de lockdown voor hen betekent. Een selectie van de foto’s zal in print of geprojecteerd opgenomen worden in de tentoonstelling.
Bij de tentoonstelling verschijnt een catalogus die in de Museumwinkel is te verkrijgen.
Voor meer informatie kunt u contact opnemen met Diana Wind, curator hedendaagse kunst, dianawind (at) museumrijswijk.nl, telefoon 0630388366.
Ian Berry at the Levi Strauss Museum | Buttenheim
A socially distanced opening in Germany.
On September 13th Ian Berry opened an exhibition at the birthplace of the inventor of the modern jean, Levi Strauss. In a museum that looks back over the life of one of the world's most iconic names, it now also examines the years of Ian Berry's work who of course makes all of his work out of the material so synonymous with the man who emigrated from Germany to make his fortune: Denim jeans
In these strange times it was great to get an event on, but the opening happened in restricted circumstances, thankfully with a warm German evening in the sun, a socially distanced crowd watched as the Mayor, Michael Karmann welcomed Ian Berry to the town of Buttenheim along with curator Tanja Roppelt. Many guest had travelled from all over Germany as well as Austria to see this opening, in the year of the 20th Anniversary of the museum.
Scroll through to see images of the exhibition by Peter Weigelt or click here
For the last 15 years Ian has been crafting his work out of the indigo dyed textile and this will commence two years of museum shows for the Yorkshire born artist. Many works are on display throughout the museum including from the Behind Closed Doors and Hotel California collections and the exhibition will help mark the special 20th Anniversary of the museum. They are located in the two main galleries with The Record Store and the Secret Garden in the windows of the shop/reception. The oldest piece in the show is 10 years old, ‘Commuters’.
Scroll through to see images of the Socially Distanced opening or click here - by Peter Weigelt
It was Berry's first showing of his work in Germany and he was there to meet the guests at the opening who had brought items to sign, as well as gifts - and of course… old jeans! many who had known Ian’s works for many times were surprised to find how layered they were in real life, after only seeing them secondary.
Once again a version of the Secret Garden was hung, with the help of Cone denim and Tonello in Italy.
‘It’s great to show in such a historic place, with the help of two companies that are doing so much for the sustainable future, with Tonello and their specialist washing machines and lasers and Cone denim who have partnered with Oritain with their unique scientific approach to provide greater visibility into the story and traceability behind their cotton’s origin.’
A special projection also was shown at the museum in Buttenheim.
There was a projection of #iclapfor on the front of the museum once it dropped dark. Iclapfor was Ian and his son’s project that has spread around the globe to show thanks for the key workers around the world as well as asking who people clap for. A documentary was shown in the film room and an emotional audience were very receptive.
As we head back in to darker times, with restrictions tightening and infections increasing it is still important to remember those who are supporting us through this. You can find out more about #iclapfor at www.iclapfor.com
‘It was such a great experience to meet so many people and to be looked after so well by the people of Buttenheim - especially Tanja Roppelt, (the curator) who worked so hard with me to get this show on and we shared so many nice stories as well as Mayor Michael Karmann and his family who showed me around the towns and villages with satisfaction. The great Bavarian food and beer was part of this experience but spending time with these people and learning about their community was inspiring, seeing once again (as previous locations) how their passion and pride makes things happen.’ Ian Berry
Elizabeth Steeger seen through the crowd at the opening
About the Museum
Ian met Elizabeth Steeger , the lady who in the spring of 1983 was trying to organize a “German Fest” and wrote to the former Mayor of Buttenheim, asking for information about the birth of Levi Strauss. This started intensive research to be conducted in the register of births and deaths of the Jewish community of Buttenheim and the emigration documents of the Bamberg state archives and finally it proved that Levi Strauss was born in Buttenheim, a town in the Upper Franconian district of Bamberg. Not only that, they discovered his house was still standing and was one of the oldest houses in Buttenheim.
The district council bought the house in 1987, which was built approximately in 1687 and today is classified as a historical monument. An elaborate renovation of the dilapidated half-timbered house began, during which the house of birth of Levi Strauss was reconstructed as true to the original as possible. The idea to donate a museum to the history of indigo and denim took shape.
Ian Berry with curator Tanja Roppelt and Mayor Michael Karmann
‘the museum is impressive both in its renovation of the past, as well as its more contemporary extensions. I was actually really impressed to find this stunning place and was an honour to spend so much time there, and help celebrate their 20th year. For anyone who can ever get there whether during my show or in years in future, it is a brilliant place for history lovers and denimheads’ Ian added
The museum opened in September 2000 and revolves around the world’s most famous pair of pants and the biography of Levi Strauss. Visitors gain an insight into the lives of rural Franconian Jewish Community, the world of the immigrants, the beginnings of the textile industry and of course, all about the phenomenon of jeans. Short films, audio guides (in many languages), moving graphics and a collection of different pieces made from the legendary blue cotton cloth show the development of the jeans that serves as a meeting point for the curious, collectors, specialists and jean-wearers of every age.
An exhibit in the Levi Strauss Museum in Buttenheim
After over a decade of success, the Museum planned to begin its next chapter by adding on an extension to the Levi Strauss birth house. With the help of Levi’s great-grandnephew, Dr. Douglas Goldman in California, the Museum was ceremoniously opened on May 21st, 2011, marking the beginning of a new phase in the Museum’s history.
When the Museum opened back in 2000, hardly anyone anticipated its rapid success. Nevertheless, both Museum guests and professionals has seen the Levi Strauss Museum become a popular success and going strong in its 20th year. Every year, thousands of people visit Buttenheim from all over the world in order to experience the Museum and see where the idea of Jeans all began. Due to the high number of visitors and the many projects and events, the 130 square meters of the original birth house was almost always filled to its maximum capacity. Therefore, the Museum decided to extend to a neighbouring house, which would give the Museum over 500 square meters of available display space after renovations. The new extension allowed the Museum to continue to develop the Levi Strauss experience with a new archive to store the Museum’s historical collection and help preserve their historical pieces.
While everyone had to wear masks, some were more creative. by Peter Weigelt
‘I really must thank everyone who made this trip so enjoyable, especially Tanja Roppelt and Michael Karmann and all the people I came across from the hotel to all the visitors who came to see the work.
The main regional paper, InFranken, reported';
’Völlig unprätentiös und ohne irgendwelche Starallüren freute sich der Künstler, dass er seine Arbeiten, quasi am Ursprungsort des Denim, dem Geburtsort von Levi Strauss, zeigen kann.’
(Completely unpretentious and without any starry airs, the artist was happy to be able to show his work at the place of origin of denim, the birthplace of Levi Strauss.) while commenting on how it was a big draw to be able to bring Ian to the museum.
About the Artist: Ian Berry
Ian Berry has been working with denim for the last 15 years, but he is more than the material he works with. During the Covid period his work took on a new life, having spent years portraying isolation. His Behind Closed Doors body of work became life for most of us, he had painstakingly crafted beautiful homes out of only denim but with a haunting scene of loneliness. Even his bar scenes or the work from Hotel California depicted a perception of solitude.
He works from photoshoots he either takes, or directs, and all of them were cancelled in the first week of lockdown. Many people sent him photos of their home isolation. Then, along with his son Elliott, 6, he made two applauding hands. Clapping for the health heroes had been a big part of British life for the first ten weeks of the Covid period. Ian’s son was particularly captivated and it enabled Ian to explain more what was going on while he was engaged. What started as a personal project between father and son, ended up been beamed all over the world via projections. It covers the whole of the UK and Ireland and was seen as far as Australia, Colombia and Brazil amongst many others. It became a big campaign called #iclapfor and a film will be shown at the museum.
Ian, original from Huddersfield lives and works in East London amongst thousands of pairs of jeans that he recycles to create almost photorealistic pieces and installations. He has been named a top 30 artist under 30 in the world as well as a top 50 name in denim worldwide in 2019 and now he will show at a historical home of one of the materials of our time.
This will start a series of museum shows. On November 28th Ian Berry will open Splendid Isolation at the Museum Rijswijk in Holland. The show at his home town of Huddersfield (in the center of the industrial revolution) is under doubt regarding Covid but in the fall of 2021 a large solo show will open at the National Museum of Textiles (Textiel Museet) in Boras, Sweden. Further shows are TBA due to covid issues.
Ian Berry at the Levi Strauss Museum, Buttenheim
Details
13 Sept - 8 November 2020
Marktstr. 31-33 96155 Buttenheim
Phone: +49 95 45 - 44 26 02
email: levi-strauss-museum(at)buttenheim.de
*Due to the current situation, the planned two-day anniversary celebrations cannot take place within the planned framework and will be postponed to a later date.
Ian Berry to show a the “Birth House of Levi Strauss Jeans Museum”
On September 13th Ian Berry will open an exhibition at the birthplace of the inventor of the modern jean, Levi Strauss. In a museum that looks back over the life of one of the world's most iconic names, it will also examine the years of Ian Berry's work who of course makes all of his work out of the material so synonymous with the man who emigrated from Germany to make his fortune: Denim jeans
Details
13 Sept - 8 November 2020
Marktstr. 31-33 96155 Buttenheim
Phone: +49 95 45 - 44 26 02
email: levi-strauss-museum(at)buttenheim.de
For the last 15 years Ian has been crafting his work out of the indigo dyed textile and this will commence two years of museum shows for the Yorkshire born artist. Many works will be on display including from the Behind Closed Doors and Hotel California collections and the exhibition will help mark the special 20th Anniversary of the museum.
'When Dr Tanja Roppelt the curator got in touch with me a couple of years ago it made sense - the old romantic in me loved the idea of the work showing in the birthplace (of Levi Strauss)
‘Together with other the museum shows we managed to loan works back from clients who have collected over the years to show a range of the work, as well as showing the development. With many of the other locations having a textile or denim history past, it is so fitting to show here at the birthplace of the man who made denim what it is today as well as for myself to step back and reflect on my career with the material.' Said Ian Berry
It will be Berry's first showing of his work in Germany and he will be there to meet the guests at the opening that will of course be under social distancing rules.
An exhibit at the Levi Strauss museum in Buttenheim and Levi Strauss.
About the Museum
In the spring of 1983 a lady from Milwaukee, was trying to organize a “German Fest” and wrote to the former Mayor of Buttenheim, asking for information about the birth of Levi Strauss. This started intensive research to be conducted in the register of births and deaths of the Jewish community of Buttenheim and the emigration documents of the Bamberg state archives and finally it proved that Levi Strauss was born in Buttenheim, a town in the Upper Franconian district of Bamberg. He was born with the name Loeb in 1829 and in 1847 he would emigrate to the USA and by 1850 took on the Americanized name Levi - and what would become one of the most famous names in the world.
This discovery initiated the founding of a museum.
Further research found that the original birth house of Levi Strauss was still standing. It is one of only a few preserved objects from his life and one of the oldest houses in Buttenheim. The district council decided to buy the house in 1987, which was built approximately in 1687 and today is classified as a historical monument. An elaborate renovation of the dilapidated half-timbered house began, during which the house of birth of Levi Strauss was reconstructed as true to the original as possible. The idea to donate a museum to the history of indigo and denim took shape.
The museum opened in September 2000 and revolves around the world’s most famous pair of pants. With the biography of Levi Strauss, visitors can gain an insight into the lives of rural Franconian Jewish Community, the world of the immigrants, the beginnings of the textile industry and of course, all about the phenomenon of jeans. Short films, audio guides (in many languages), moving graphics and a collection of different pieces made from the legendary blue cotton cloth show the development of the jeans that serves as a meeting point for the curious, collectors, specialists and jean-wearers of every age. The museum also shows the struggles of a Franconian Jew in the 19th century, the hardships of a German immigrant in America, the boom of the textile industry and the history of jeans, all while honouring the tremendous accomplishments of Levi Strauss the man.
Sleeping Alone I, denim on denim, 2016
After over a decade of success, the Museum planned to begin its next chapter by adding on an extension to the Levi Strauss birth house. With the help of Levi’s great-grandnephew, Dr. Douglas Goldman in California, the Museum was ceremoniously opened on May 21st, 2011, marking the beginning of a new phase in the Museum’s history.
When the Museum opened back in 2000, hardly anyone anticipated its rapid success. Nevertheless, both Museum guests and professionals has seen the Levi Strauss Museum become a popular success and going strong in its 20th year. Every year, thousands of people visit Buttenheim from all over the world in order to experience the Museum and see where the idea of Jeans all began. Due to the high number of visitors and the many projects and events, the 130 square meters of the original birth house was almost always filled to its maximum capacity. Therefore, the Museum decided to extend to a neighbouring house, which would give the Museum over 500 square meters of available display space after renovations. The new extension allowed the Museum to continue to develop the Levi Strauss experience with a new archive to store the Museum’s historical collection and help preserve their historical pieces.
#iclapfor project by Ian Berry
About the Artist: Ian Berry
Ian Berry has been working with denim for the last 15 years, but he is more than the material he works with. During the Covid period his work took on a new life, having spent years portraying isolation. His Behind Closed Doors body of work became life for most of us, he had painstakingly crafted beautiful homes out of only denim but with a haunting scene of loneliness. Even his bar scenes or the work from Hotel California depicted a perception of solitude.
He works from photoshoots he either takes, or directs, and all of them were cancelled in the first week of lockdown. Many people sent him photos of their home isolation. Then, along with his son Elliott, 6, he made two applauding hands. Clapping for the health heroes had been a big part of British life for the first ten weeks of the Covid period. Ian’s son was particularly captivated and it enabled Ian to explain more what was going on while he was engaged. What started as a personal project between father and son, ended up been beamed all over the world via projections. It covers the whole of the UK and Ireland and was seen as far as Australia, Colombia and Brazil amongst many others. It became a big campaign called #iclapfor and a film will be shown at the museum - as well as a special projection at the opening.
Ian Berry shows the making of one of the pieces in the show in Germany.
Ian, original from Huddersfield lives and works in East London amongst thousands of pairs of jeans that he recycles to create almost photorealistic pieces and installations. He has been named a top 30 artist under 30 in the world as well as a top 50 name in denim worldwide in 2019 and now he will show at a historical home of one of the materials of our time.
This will start a series of museum shows. On November 28th Ian Berry will open Splendid Isolation at the Museum Rijswijk in Holland. The show at his home town of Huddersfield (in the center of the industrial revolution) is under doubt regarding Covid but in the fall of 2021 a large solo show will open at the National Museum of Textiles (Textiel Museet) in Boras, Sweden. Further shows are TBA due to covid issues.
Levi Strauss historian Tracey Panek, mayor Michael Karmann and museum manager Tanja Roppelt with a 19th century jeans in front of Levi Strauss's birthplace
In 2018 Ian Berry visited the Levi Strauss archives in San Francisco - Tracey Panek selected some special jeans to show him as well as Albert Einstein’s leather jacket.
*Due to the current situation, the planned two-day anniversary celebrations cannot take place within the planned framework and will be postponed to a later date.
When the Clapping Ends, the Caring Continues
A creative community claps
Ian Berry has formed a collective of over 20 international artists who all made their Clapping Hands to show their gratitude to health workers and others in this period.
Ian has seen his hands projected all over the world after making two hands in denim with his son.
For the last two months his hands have been projected on buildings as far away as Colombia, Mexico City, New York, Sweden and Brazil and here in the UK on 70 different areas walls from Land’s End to John O’Groats, the most Southern and Northern areas of Britain. They were seen on places such as the Baltic in Gateshead, Edinburgh Castle, the South Bank Centre and the BT Tower in Birmingham – it was even on the white Cliffs of Dover!
They can now be seen with more artists hands including his sons, only six, who inspired the whole project. Elliott loved the clapping here in the UK on Thursday nights at 8pm. ‘It enabled us to be able to talk to him about it while he was engaged and interested. We could tell him about his auntie who was on the Covid team in Lund, Sweden and our friends on the frontline. He now sees the NHS workers as heroes and gets excited every time he sees the logo. That’s why I think the clapping is great, while I understand the arguments if kids can grow up seeing health workers and others to be respected then we have more hope for the future.’
Elliotts hand clap
Ian managed to get his projections to Land’s End prior to the last clap on the tenth week after the ‘creator’ of the clapping Annemarie Plas called for it to end. ‘I can imagine the pressure she was under when It got political’ Ian said. The night before Ian was also at a projection himself in Greenwich, ‘We thought fitting as time was running out just as momentum had really started’.
Ian was starting to get back into the studio for his museum shows later in the year when a call came in, the clapping was back! For Sunday the NHS celebrates its 72nd year and have asked for a clap not just for them, but all on the front line. This was actually Ian’s angle all along, and this projection on the Angel of the North shows many of the answers to who do you clap for. Ian used the hashtag #iclapfor
‘All the opportunities that had faded suddenly came back, and then more. A lot came in and led nowhere, no one sees all the time put in, but this week should see a lot of different projections and events! My phone has never been used as much’
One that is a great development is that Ian isn’t alone, he had many artists submit their hands, traditionally one of the hardest body parts to make. ‘I’ve avoided them for years!’ Said Ian. No one wants to clap alone, and nor did Ian. The isolation was bad enough for him, and now feels a part of a wider community with artists like Dutch artist Max Zorn who sent in his hands with brown packing tape, Daisy Collingridge’s amazing creatures hands, Andre Veloux who makes his work with Lego and Kirstie Adamson who makes collages out of magazines.
Jess Wilsons Hans clap in Newcastle
There were some really successful artists join with more traditional materials like Benjamin Murphy, Will Rochfort, Ruth Fox and Saatchi’s “Top 20 artists to watch in 2020” Marcus Aitken. Illustrator Jess Wilson of Jealous Gallery made a bold one with a yellow emoji hand that is striking when projected.
With Ian being a unconventional textile artist, he got many submit with textiles like Sophie Standing, Alice Kozlow, Cas Holmes, Terry Aske, Béatrice Beraud, Barbara Shaw, Rachadi Zahira, Clockwork Press, and Juan Manaul Gomez and of course little Elliott who also got an added treat, a trip to the top of the Shard with his dad and be the only ones there!
In the final week culminating in the NHS birthday it was shown in various sites in London, Huddersfield, Newcastle, Halifax, Shrewsbury. In Halifax it was at Yorkshire’s ‘Number One building’ The Piece Hall, for the artist from neighbouring Huddersfield. Ian famed for using denim jeans in his art and it will be shown in the region’s iconic old cloth Hall. They made a film of it with videos of people saying who they clap for which Ian has been asking in this period.
The angel of the North’s projected final message
‘By asking the question who do you clap for?, it made it personal, but also as well as getting friends and relatives answers, we got certain groups of people like prison officers, unpaid care workers and volunteers - many who had felt forgotten. We projected their names and I know there were many happy to be included when they saw it.’ Ian added.
It all started by accident, Ian’s son Elliott loved the clapping and it gave Ian the opportunity to tell him what was going on and who it was for – and to talk about their family and friends on the front line while he was engaged. He now sees the NHS workers as heroes and gets excited every time he sees the logo. Elliott took the photo of his dad’s hands and sat with him while he made it in his studio.
He was certainly excited to see a mural made of it in Walthamstow, North London. He even painted a part of it with Wood Street Wallsand Atma. The painting of the now iconic clap was on the side of a Doctor’s Surgery and was liked by the neighbours. At 5pm on the Sunday of the NHS birthday Ian and ATMA clapped with the residents of the street at 5pm.
‘I know by the tenth week the clap had its detractors and I understand the arguments. But I have seen children engaged in this and let’s hope they grow up to respect the Heath Service, it’s that well used phrase, they are the future. We live in a country that made the court jesters kings and I think many are starting to see who we should value. And (laughing) I’m aware of the list that placed Artists on the least valued workers in this period.’
the pins of Pin Your Thanks on the Royal Festival Hall, South Bank, London
His son now proudly wears the Clapping Hands as a badge. Ian was one of the names behind Pin Your Thanks that also includes Kiera Knightley, Ringo Starr, Anoushka Shankar, Rita Ora, David James and Joe Lycett as a way of showing thanks to those in this time. They are raising money for NHS Charities Direct and Volunteering Matters and backed by the likes of Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson and Oscar winning Costume Designer Jenny Beavan. And it was all launched by.. you guessed it, a projection, and at London’s Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank.
Ian’s no longer known by just art in denim, perhaps projections are his new medium.
But as Ian says. ‘When the clapping ends, the caring continues.’
The dedicated Iclap website
Have your isolation photograph displayed in a museum
…And perhaps even turned to denim.
Ian Berry has been making isolation images in denim for years. Blue, 2012
Ian Berry may have captured the world’s press imagination for years with his medium, denim, but of course the other consistent theme in his work has been isolation. And now he is wanting to see your isolation shots Behind your Closed Doors that could show in a museum.
The months prior to lockdown Ian had been planning photoshoots in some well known people’s homes, as his work is based on photos. The week of shoots was the first week of lockdown. Not ideal with two years of museum shows upcoming.
Compared to what is going on, he knows it’s not the worst thing but he did have a problem to find a solution for.
Ian became a professional artist after losing his job as an Art Director in the last financial crisis. The museum shows were going to look over this period of work (loaned back from clients) and he was complimenting it with new work that continued these themes.
Now we all find ourselves in isolation.
Some of Ians work on isolation in Behind Closed Doors.
Speaking with friends he soon realised many were photographers stuck, but safe, in their own homes. They volunteered to take photos, many were sent but Ian’s work is time consuming, he couldn’t do them all. He had also realised he was isolated in his own home and studio, with a camera.
‘It’s at times like this you realise what is in front of you and what you have. I had been planning on going to other peoples homes as well as returning to LA to shoot, ignoring what was in front of my eyes.’ Ian Berry
Your isolation images to show in Museum Rijswijk Holland
With seeing many great photos and knowing many photographers had lost work, like him, during this period he spoke with the Museum’s Curator Diana Wind where he will have a solo show later in the year and they decided they should show some at the Museum by The Hague in The Netherlands. Ian will then have further shows in Germany, Sweden and Yorkshire UK with more to announce.
‘Photographers and the public should be, and will be, documenting this period and their experience of this, so we invite them to submit their photographs during this period that will be chosen by the curator of the Museum Rijswijk Diana Wind and myself, and then displayed alongside my show but in a dedicated gallery.’
The work need not be as melancholic as Ian’s scenes, nor isolation alone, it can be a family playing a game, a couple both working from home or many on a zoom meeting, it is your experience. If Ian does see one that he can see in denim, he will have that conversation but the main purpose is to see your photographs and display them like that.
Submissions should be sent to mail@ianberry.art titled Stay Behind Closed Doors
You can find out more about submissions here and also follow the instagram page
You can see some of the early submissions above and also here.
Ian Berry in Isolation
Ian Berry is isolating in his East London studio beside the Limehouse Cut Canal and with his 2 to 3,000 pairs of jeans. Prior to lockdown Kasper Daugaard visited and filmed a VR in Ian’s studio and you can have a look at Ian’s studio where he is now working away.
And just days before the lockdown Debbie Bragg shot in Ian Berry’s studio and workplace.
360° of Ian Berry's London Studio
Welcome in to the hidden world of Ian Berry - in full 360° of indigo blue. Filmed in his London studio it follows Ian Berry around as he speaks to Kasper Daugaard of SYS Visual in some of the different sections of his atelier. Please use the guide in the top left hand corner to see in all the different directions as you move around.
Ian says ‘The technology has really advanced and I was really impressed with the guys at SYS Visual with what they could achieve. I think the added interview part gives it another element as I always wanted to show more people around the studio but never really knew how. This is the closest thing to being here yet’
This is the first episode as we take a tour into Ian’s world at his East London base. Whenever people visit the studio they are always amazed by the ‘organised mess’ and to see so many shades of denim jeans all in a palette and arranged by shades. There’s denim hanging on the walls and his tools of his trade with all kinds of store rooms leading off from the main studio room.
‘I’ve never been able to really show online what the studio is like and, like my work, seems only good in real life. People’s reaction as they walk in are always something quite special. I’ve had great photographers in and it shows a section, but as the ceiling is low at the front (only 2 meters) it always looks a bit strange. It never really shows the large size of it and all the areas - and always looks a mess! With this it really shows the feeling of the studio and where I work.’ Ian added.
SYS Visual came in and filmed over a morning and then stitched it together in the edit room and in this episode you see Ian Berry’s working area, they filmed throughout his home (above the studio) and where he lives at the Limehouse Cut canal area of East London. Watch out for further episodes where you see his own art collection, and even in his kitchen and living room of this amazing factory conversation in the old Spratts Factory that survived the war. Ian overlooks the oldest canal in London, the Limehouse Cut were you can see barges going up and down as well as swans and all kinds of wildlife.
Spratts made pet food and the factory at one point was the largest dog food factory in the world. Built in the late 19th Century with beautiful red bricks and having the original writing still on the building. It was the first live work building in London and has been home to the likes of the Queen's tapestry restorer Ksynia Marko, Roger Law of Spitting Image, sculptor Michael Green and ceramicist Elizabeth Fritsch along with many other creatives. With Ian Berry and many notable others now, it carries on the tradition of being an artists building.
Another interesting fact also shows there was a dog-show department, possibly owing to James Spratt's initial 14-year-old assistant, the future dog show founder Charles Cruft. During the war they made dog biscuits for the soldiers on the front line.
After the imposition of purchase tax on pet food in 1969, the factory closed down, left derelict for many years.
Spratts factory on Limehouse Cut, by Debbie Bragg
Watch out to see further episodes to see more of his Studio, home, and the building.
made by www.sysvisual.com
produced by FARDI: +44 7968 538 767 fardi@sysvisual.com
Ian Berry at London Art Fair 2020
From 22-26th January Ian will be exhibiting new works made in his trademark all denim at the London Art Fair, Stand G38, Business Design Centre, Islington. Carrying on with his successful Solo show at the Catto Gallery in the summer there is three original pieces building on Hotel California.
ONSITE INSIGHTS
Ian Berry will host an onsite talk at 4pm on Sunday January 26 at the stand and you can reserve your place here
OPENING TIMES
PREVIEW EVENING
Tuesday 21 January | 6pm – 9pm
PUBLIC FAIR HOURS
Wednesday 22 January | 11am – 9pm
Thursday 23 January | 11am – 9pm
Friday 24 January | 11am – 7pm
Saturday 25 January | 11am – 7:30pm
Sunday 26 January | 11am – 5pm
TICKET TYPES
Join us on Tuesday 21 January from 6 – 9pm for our Preview Evening – London Art Fair’s 2020 opening celebrations and be one of the first to explore and discover the exceptional art on display.
These tickets are limited.
Day Ticket
Pick your day to attend between 22-26 January. Whether you’re an art connoisseur or just culturally curious – come with an open mind and prepare to have it broadened.
Thursday Late
Visit the Fair after work for an inspiring late night of art. Enjoy the extended opening hours and experience live music, insightful talks, film screenings and more.
Premier Pass
Never miss a beat with the London Art Fair Premier Pass. Attend every day plus the exclusive Preview. This six-day ticket provides access during the exclusive Preview Evening and five public days of the Fair.
A La Carte + Art
Enjoy a sumptuous two course meal and a complimentary glass of wine at Radici, our 2020 Restaurant Partner
Includes 1 Day Ticket to London Art Fair.
Fair Guide
Make the most of your visit to London Art Fair by purchasing the official Fair Guide for £4, the guide can be purchased in advanced or at the Fair
GETTING THERE
VENUE
Business Design Centre
52 Upper Street
London N1 0QH
View map
There is full disabled access to the Business Design Centre, please call 020 7288 6475 for further details. businessdesigncentre.co.uk
Large bags and rucksacks will not be permitted inside the Fair. A cloakroom is available at the venue at a cost of £1 per item.
TRAVEL
For Public Transport to the Business Design Centre:
Angel tube station (Northern Line) – 5 minute walk
King’s Cross St Pancras – 15 minute walk
Highbury & Islington stations – 15 minute walk
A wide range of busses also reach the venue. More information
BBC London Interview
Alice Bhandhukravi Art Correspondent from BBC London came to visit his exhibition Hotel California at the Catto Gallery in London and interviewed him about his work in denim. She was amazed to see the work in real life. Watch her look around Hotel California taking in the pool pieces and his record store that framed the Hotel California album cover by the Eagles.
Ian Berry on 60 Seconds Docs
Ian Berry was filmed and featured on 60 Second Docs. The textile artist known for his work with denim crammed his 15 years career into one minute and to a great response, with three quarters of a million views on facebook and a further 40k on instagram.
The artist recently named a Rivet 50 influencer in denim was shown working on piece as well as images of work ranging over the last ten years. Shira Pinson, who filmed Ian for AJ+ three years ago was chosen to film him again for LA based 60 Seconds Docs. They filmed in his Poplar, London studio and in his gallery in Hampstead during his solo exhibition in the summer.
Have a watch.
News
News from the studio of Ian Berry
NEW!
Ian Berry’s, SPLENDID ISOLATION is out now and available to order online. The book is a collaboration with publisher Jap Sam Books in The Netherlands with the Museum Rijswijk to coincide with the Solo Museum show of the same name.
The book includes
· a foreward by Museum Rijswijk curator Diana Wind and Director Arnoud van Aalst
· 160 page paperback book
· Over 150 images in full colour (well, full of blue)
· Looks over some of his 15 years of making his artwork using only denim
· Many images show detail shots of his work that have to be seen to be believed.
The book was launched at the 2020 Virtual Art Book Fair (VABF) organized by Tokyo Art Book Fair (TABF) with Jap Sam. The fair was originally scheduled for Fall 2020 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo. It then debuted at the Museum shop at Museum Rijswijk and was popular with visitors. You can now get it here.
The book comes signed by the artist Ian Berry and you can also request a message to be sent. We can post around the world with the postages below, including a special launch offer.
Postage
· £2.50 to the UK (Free with FREESHIPPING code at check out)
Postage outside the UK will come up at Check out.
Along with Museum Rijswijk and Jap Sam Books the book was made possible by the museum show principle sponsor Pepe Jeans London, along with Tencel, Famore Cutlery, Cone Denim and Tonello.