Bundling Memories
“A mere piece of clothing was transformed into a profoundly intimate, tangible connection to Julian.”
by Cara McCarty
Memories are the most significant things we have in life. When I lost my life partner, who passed away last October, I desperately wanted to linger in the loss, to savor Julian, to cling to him in every way possible.
I gathered photos, Julian’s writings, his recorded lectures, cherished every word in the heartfelt tributes people sent. Emotionally it was too palpable for me to open the closet and see every piece of his clothing hanging exactly as he last touched them. As if they were breathing. Then, one day an artist friend asked me to send an article of Julian’s clothing. I had an inkling of what to expect: bundling and wrapping with colorful threads are defining techniques of her art work. I selected my favorite shirt, a vibrant purple cotton shirt Julian bought while in India. He purchased it when we first started dating and always wore it on special occasions. I mailed it to my friend.
Weeks later, a jiffy pack arrived, and for the first time in months I smiled. What started as a shirt came back as a tightly bound “soft” cushion, a memory bundle. My friend honored Julian and our deep friendship by lovingly memorializing something he had worn, a “second skin,” caressing it with threads and yarns that passed through her caring fingers. A mere piece of clothing was transformed into a profoundly intimate, tangible connection to Julian. Like a comforting pillow, the memory bundle rests peacefully on my bedside table, always present, always listening, always reassuring.
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Still Processing is a collection of work from the participants of the two-week 2021 Design Writing & Research Summer Intensive at the School of Visual Arts. For more information about our Summer Intensive as well as our two-semester Master’s program, please visit our website or email us at designresearch@sva.edu
