Charles LeDray – MENS SUITS
In 2009 the H+F Fashion Award goes to the American artist Charles LeDray (Seattle, 1960). The H+ F Fashion on the Edge Foundation awards the biennial prize for exceptional work by a designer or artist working at the cutting edge of fashion and art. The prize included the presentation of LeDray’s existing project ‘MENS SUITS’ in the museum until 10 January 2010.
Charles LeDray is an artist working mainly with textiles and ceramics. He meticulously stitches and sews, throws and glazes all his work by hand, working alone in a small studio in New York. The project ‘MENS SUITS’ is based on clothing. Large amounts of men’s clothing – suits, shirts, ties, gloves – all different, all hand-made and intimately detailed, and mostly appearing second hand. They have had a life dressing somebody, and bear a sense of fatigue. All LeDray’s work is like something we have seen or worn, but on a different scale. Much smaller than life-size, they have a quiet, arresting presence.